While many were gearing up on Sunday for their Super Bowl parties, gathering snacks, beverages and the best possible seat to cheer their favorite team, three Inverness churches decided to deviate from the normal revelries and applaud a different team.
Members of the Lake Chapel M.B. Church, New Hope M.B. Church and Markham M.B. Church, Team LNM, congregated on the spiritual playing field and played to the theme, “God wants us to get into the game and win for Him.” The program was designed to incorporate many of the elements associated with the much-anticipated bowl game.
Program coordinators Leronda Sibley and Barbara Earvin set up the churches’ regular program to resemble an actual football game inclusive of a pre-game show, four quarters of team interaction, commercials, halftime and post-game activities and the awarding of the MVP trophy.
Members and guests were invited to dress out in football jerseys and come cheer and praise the team’s owner, Jesus Christ. Sibley called the event an attempt to look at the Super Bowl in a different way and give God the glory in the process.
The Rev. Edward Thomas is the pastor of the three churches and as such, dubbed the teams’ general manager. He delivered the call to worship at the kickoff and the day’s message during the fourth and final quarter. He reminded the fans that Jesus is a winner who gave his all for his team, and that they are winners because they placed their trust in Jesus.
“If you’re not on this team, you can’t win,” he said, “If you’re not on this team, you’re on a dead-end road.” But all hope is not lost, Thomas said there is good news because, “Today we are taking application for whosoever will come.” He said all you have to do is believe and confess your belief.
Thomas continued his fourth quarter drive by assuring them that belief in the general manager or the coaches (deacons) would not bring salvation, “Just believe in the owner, his name is Jesus,” he said.
In conclusion, Thomas shared the message of the gospel and alluded to a parable in the 20th chapter of Matthew about workers in the vineyard with the assurance that regardless of when they join Jesus’ team the reward was the same, “If they have been there 40 years and you come today, the owner is going to pay you the same thing, so he is a good owner to work for.”
The congregation truly embraced the themed worship service and, as with the official game event, held a special penchant for the commercials, which featured singing and a segment on products that “God is like.” Another favorite was a segment correlating football terminology with “church folks” behavior such as a quarterback sneak equating to when members quietly leave during “the invitation,” the blitz is the rush for the restaurants following the closing prayer and illegal equipment is cell phones in the church.
The culminating activity was the awarding of the MVP trophy presented to member Rosie Turner for outstanding support of the team.
