And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men . . . Matthew 6:5
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19
It will cost $1.6 million for a 30-second commercial during this Sunday's Super Bowl.
Unless you're God.
(Note: For the purposes of this story, ``God'' is not Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox, which owns the TV rights to Supe XXXIII from Miami.)
No, God - as in The Man Upstairs - will get a free ride. And thanks to an increasing number of football players praising the Lord at every prime-time opportunity, the Almighty is just about an (im)mortal lock to rack up more Nielsen points than the Taco Bell chihuahua.
A quick guide:
That exultant arm thrust skyward with an extended index finger no longer means ``We're Number 1.''
That's a Godmercial.
That pensive pause on bended knee in the end zone after a bruising touchdown run?
That's a Godmercial.
Reggie White? Godmercial.
Country act during halftime extravaganza? Godmercial.
If the first words out of the winning coach's mouth are ``I just want to thank the good . . . ,'' better watch out. A Godmercial is on the way.
Right into your living room. Whether you like it or not.
Pro football players, like pros in many sports, used to credit their teammates, and of course, themselves for their triumphs.
Now everything, from a contract extension to a game-winning field goal, is lauded as God-given. To fumble is human. To catch the winning TD pass, divine.
And in just a few short years, a mindless Sunday afternoon in front of the tube watching guys crack open each other's heads has become a bizarre form of Sunday worship.
Jocks for Jesus beamed right into your home like the ``700 Club,'' eager to instantly convert the awe of their on-field achievements into PDG - Public Displays for God.
Reminding the biggest congregation in the world - an estimated 90 million this Sunday - that salvation is at hand. Praise the Lord and pass the dip.
The Lord, it seems, is working in mysterious ways.
