The GameChurch

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Yes, Gamechurch is indeed an actual thing. They are at PAX, they are giving away free beer – in fact Cory may be there right this second knocking back local microbrews and chatting about Corinthians – and yes, their site logo is indeed a picture of the lamb of hosts holding a 360 controller and wearing a headset.

Their recent press release is the stuff legends are made of:

Video games. Beer. Jesus. What?

If you thought those things couldn’t exist in the same sentence, think again. Stop by the Gamechurch.com Booth at the PAX Convention and you will first be greeted by a giant 12-foot banner that depicts Jesus wearing a headset and holding a game controller as if He is locked in some sort of heavenly team deathmatch battle. If that isn’t enough to flip your lid, you will next be greeted by a member of the Gamechurch team offering you a card to get some free beer. They may even give you a bible and tell you that Jesus loves you. This has to be some kind of Joke, right? Surprisingly not.

While it may rattle the cages of the more conservative types, Gamechurch believes that Jesus wouldn’t take issue with hopping on a LAN and gaming it up with you. Why wouldn’t he? Gamechurch is here to deconstruct the Americanized perspective that Jesus is this mythological person floating around judging people for whatever they did or didn’t do. Jesus loves gamers, and if He were here today, he wouldn’t be at the chapel, He’d be at the LAN center hanging out with his people and getting His game on. And, He’d probably own you at it too.

Despite being a smug atheist type who’s guilty of exploiting more than a few religious folk for cruel chuckles, I’ve got to admit that I’m actually quite fond of Gamechurch. Behind the deliberately cheesy delivery, there seems to be a team of good-humored people who’ve decided to abandon the po-faced seriousness associated with religion in favor of jolly insanity. Plus, they’re giving out beer; it’s hard to dislike anyone who’s giving out free hooch.