Tales From the Church Refriderator: Not Super Bowl Sunday!

It's been a while since my last ministry Super Bowl party. The two I can recall were pretty fun with the multiple televisions, food, video games etc. It's funny, though, how a game can have so much attention. Don't get me wrong; I love football. My Sunday afternoons are spent watching games, and I'm a sucker for a good highlight. Oh, and I think the Steelers are going to win. I can't stand to see any other NFC team playing other than mine, and there's a Galveston connection to this year's game--again.

However, I've watched Super Bowls and I've missed Super Bowls.   The saddest one was when my team made it.  I couldn't watch it because our cable wasn't connected and we only received two channels through the air--even the radio transmission was horrible.  And Are I Yet Alive.  I have survived.  So, please don't think I have anything against the Super Bowl.  Some stories just need to be told.

It was a day not unlike most.  Winter was in full swing, and images of the Super Bowl danced in everyone's head.  Preparations were being made for many events.  Of course, there were the Super Bowl parties with family and friends: What kind of drinks do we want?  How many McNuggets can we possibly eat?  When do we start planning for next year? 

But there were other events to plan as well.  One pastor happened to be doing just that, planning an upcoming Sunday-evening study for the church.  Sure, this pastor had Superbowl thoughts like everyone else, but there is indeed a time and a place for everything: A time to be holy and a time to beat the holiness out of someone.  "Oh," the pastor thought, "this study addresses a concern many people have right now.  This will provide a wonderful opportunity for my congregants to consider their own lives in light of the hope scripture offers to them.  I can't wait to share this with my congregation." 

By all accounts the study did seem very beneficial, something many people expressed a genuine interest in.  The length of the study also seemed to be an appropriate amount of time for most people to thoroughly delve into the matter at hand.  "Our study," the pastor began to explain, "will begin on March Nrd."  Well, March Nrd, as you know, sounds a lot like February Nrd.  It must because almost immediately the response from the congregation was, "That's Super Bowl Sunday!  Is that really a good idea?  People (not them, of course) will be doing other things that night."  "What?" the pastor thought, "I didn't see that on my calendar.  Which synod designated that title?"

The pastor assured the congregation the study was planned for March Nrd, a month after February's Super Bowl.  "Whew," one congregant replied, "So tell me a little more about this study."

And the church lived happily ever after every Superbowl.

Any Super Bowl predictions? I'm taking the Steelers 24-17. Stay blessed...john