Fred Ash is a Salvation Army officer in Toronto. He was an editor of Christian magazines for 13 years and has written hundreds of published articles. He is a part-time student at Tyndale Seminary.

(Luke 14:15-24)

Note: This sketch is designed to be presented in a church setting to a general congregation. The purpose of the sketch is same as that of Jesus' parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14 to remind the congregation of their real calling to seek and to save the lost and that Christ will build his Church with or without them.

Props: A desk, paper and pen, two telephones.
Costumes: Casual clothes. Pastor may wear suit and tie.
Setting: In a church office, the pastor talks with his secretary.

Pastor: The Church of Eternal Hope is about to mark its 100th anniversary and as the pastor I have decided to hold a big church supper to celebrate.
Secretary: O, pastor, that's a wonderful idea! Whom shall we invite?
Pastor: We will invite all the church elders and their wives. And we will also invite all the deacons and their wives. And we will invite all the choir members and their spouses.
Secretary: And all the youth workers?
Pastor: Yes, and all the youth workers.
Secretary: And the organist?
Pastor: O, heaven forbid, we can't forget the organist.
Secretary: And the janitor?
Pastor: Yes, we'll invite the janitor. In fact let's invite all the members of the church to come and celebrate church's centenary. Oh, and most important of all, let's invite the bishop. This is going to be the biggest church supper this town has ever seen. (Pastor exits)

Secretary hold up sign: "One Month Later"
(Telephone rings)
Secretary: Church of Eternal Hope, hopefully we can help you.
Deacon Jones: Hello, this is deacon Jones.
Secretary: Yes, deacon Jones?
Deacon Jones: I'm calling to say I won't be at the church supper.
Secretary: May I ask why?
Deacon Jones: Well, me and some of the old boys have this fishin trip planned for that weekend so we'll be out of town.
Secretary: I'm sorry to hear that, deacon Jones. Pastor Comings will be very disappointed. Good-bye.

(Telephone rings)
Secretary: Church of Eternal Hope, hopefully we can help you.
Choir Leader: Hello, this is Choir Leader Sally Notable.
Secretary: Yes, choir leader.
Choir Leader: I'm calling to say I won't be at the church supper.
Secretary: May I ask why?
Choir Leader: Bill Gaither is singing at the SkyDome that night and all the choir members and I are going to hear him.
Secretary: I'm sorry to hear that, choir leader.
Pastor Comings will be very disappointed. Good-bye.

(Telephone rings)
Secretary: Church of Eternal Hope, hopefully we can help you.
Elder Smith: Hello, this is church elder Smith; I'm the president of the Golden Agers, the church seniors' club.
Secretary: Yes, elder Smith.
Elder Smith: I'm calling to say I won't be at the church supper.
Secretary: May I ask why?
Elder Smith: That's our seniors' bowling night. We haven't missed a night of bowling in 15 years and we're not about to break our record for some old supper which most of us probably won't be able to eat anyway.
Secretary: I'm sorry to hear that, elder Smith.
Pastor Comings will be very disappointed. Good-bye.

(Telephone rings)
Secretary: Church of Eternal Hope, hopefully we can help you.
Youth Group Leader: Hello, this is Marilyn, the youth group leader.
Secretary: Yes, Marilyn.
Youth Group Leader: I'm calling to say I won't be at the church supper.
Secretary: May I ask why?
Youth Group Leader: Well, our youth group is meeting the Pentecostal youth group at the paint ball arena. They challenged us to a fight to the finish. And we are going plaster them to the wall.
Secretary: I'm sorry to hear that, youth group leader. Pastor Comings will be very disappointed. Good-bye.

(Pastor enters the office)
Pastor: I'm so excited about this big church supper. I've ordered 500 lobster dinners from the Happy Caterers. I've got Mr. Dressup to entertain the children. Premier Harris is going to give greetings from the government. And I've asked the bishop to be our after dinner speaker. How are the invitations coming?
Secretary: I sent out 500 invitations like you told me.
Pastor: Yes?
Secretary: Ah…some can't come.
Pastor: Well, there are always a few who can't make it to this kind of thing. Who can't come?
Secretary: Deacon Smith won't be there.
Pastor: We will miss him but we can do without him.
Secretary: He's taking 20 of the old boys on a fishing trip.
Pastor: Twenty!… O, well, we'll manage.
Secretary: There's more.
Pastor: More?
Secretary: The choir leader won't be there.
Pastor: Why not?
Secretary: She's taking the entire choir to hear Bill Gaither at the SkyDome.
Pastor: The entire choir? That's not good. Anyone else?
Secretary: The Golden Agers Club has a bowling tournament.
Pastor: A bowling tournament! They will miss the 100th anniversary of the church for a bowling tournament? Well at least the younger generation will be there. They always like a party.
Secretary: Ah… I'm afraid not, Pastor. They will be at the paint ball arena fighting it out with the Pentecostals.
Pastor: Is there anyone coming of the hundreds we invited?
Secretary: No, sir. None.
Pastor: None?
Secretary: None. Zero.

(Telephone rings)
Secretary: Church of Eternal Hope. Hopefully we can help you… yes… yes… I see… yes… yes. I'll tell him. Good-bye.
Pastor: Well?
Secretary: That was the bishop. He can't come. He's got to baby-sit his grandchildren.

Pastor: Ahhhhhhhh! I've got 500 dinners ordered. I've put a lot of time and money in this. (Sits down with his head in his hands, long pause, then jumps up) Quickly, go downtown and invite the street people and the buskers and the homeless.
Secretary: Are you sure? What have they got to celebrate?
Pastor: Celebrate? What we all can celebrate: life. Life abundantly.
(Secretary prepares to leave while Pastor recites a soliloquy in grandiose style)
I have a dream: Go into the shelters and invite the transients.
Go into the rehab centres and invite the alcoholics.
Go into the pubs and invite the lonely and the sorrowful.
Go into the low-income housing districts and invite the poor and the downtrodden and the hopeless.
By gosh we're going to have a party! And none of those we invited will even get a lick.
Secretary leaves and the Pastor calls after her: And order another 1000 dinners.