The power of the bench

Basketball fans, let me see you hands?!

If there’s anything that Kuya Prudy and I are not in total agreement at this point, it’s with the NBA Finals 2010. He’s routing for the Lakers. Well, I’m a Celtic baby. I grew up with Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish — that’s your original triangle offense, dude!

Anyway, Game 4 was crucial. They are the underdogs. And their superstars — Garnett, Pierce and Allen — are having an off night. How did they win? Their second crew, the bench, stepped up. Big Baby Davis, Nate Robinson, Tony Allen, Rasheed Wallace and the rest of the bench saved the day for the Celtics.

Before this post becomes a basketball review, let me just say how this relates to the game we call “honoring God at Sunday Experience”. When you attend LifeChurch Makati on Sundays, you’ll experience excellent worship with music, lights and sounds that you can relate with, being lead by our praise team. You’ll see Craig Groeschel or Kuya Prudy teaching a life-changing message. They’re the superstars! They’re what you see on stage.

What you don’t see, though, are those who are working in the background to make your experience enjoyable and a blessing. The people who greets you when you enter the cinema (we call them our “welcoming team”), the people that ushers you to your seats, so you will not have the hard time finding one (our ushering team), the people that sets up the stage and the lights and sounds (our pitstop team), the ladies that take care and teach your kids about God in the language they will understand (our lifekids team) — these people are out of the limelight, and yet are equally important. They serve you with smiles and unselfish care. They are our heros.

So, let’s say, if you don’t know how to sing — and sing really well — or play any instruments, no worries. Not everyone is gifted with such talent. Yet, you still can do great things for God on Sundays! Smile for the people, and smile well! Be an usher. Help in the building up and tearing down of the lights and sounds equipments. Teach the kids.

Make a difference. Be a volunteer!

Who agrees with me that it’s going to be Celtics in 7? Raise your hand?