Hidden Tracks Part 2 “When God Called a Party and No One Came” Traditional Service Livestream

It’s hard to imagine.

A child celebrates a special birthday. The family puts it all together. Arrangements are made, food is ordered, decorations are ready, invitations to all her friends are sent. Then the big day arrives. The child is excited, waiting on her friends to show up for the party

But no one shows up.

Hard to imagine and equally heart breaking for the child and her family.

Jesus tells a similar story. But in his version, it’s God who plans a big party and sends out invitations to all his friends. And no one shows up.

Those invited quickly bow out, citing excuses like “I have to check my field” and “I just got married.” It’s painfully clear, the invited people don’t really want to attend the banquet. The result is an empty room and a canceled party.

Except God has a different idea. Faced with the prospect of an empty room and no party, God opens the party to anyone, anywhere, and everywhere regardless of their status, how popular they are or how much money they have. The invitation is given to “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” Outsiders and outcasts, the last people who would be invited to a party.

It’s a story about the time God called a party, and no one came.

And if we really took this story seriously, it would change us.

Unconditional love is odd and rare.

But in those sacred moments when it happens, when you experience it for yourself or witness it firsthand, you’ll never forget it.

It feels like a party.

A welcome home party.