By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
MANDEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Nearly 150 staff and members with First Baptist Church, Mandeville, gathered inside the worship center to read all the way through the Bible during the last weekend in March, according to congregational sources.
Held for the second year, “Our Eyes on your Word” began at the end of the congregation’s Wednesday midweek worship, March 25, and concluded Sunday morning, March 29.
Men, women, boys and girls of all ages read passages aloud for an hour at a time around the clock. Pastor Ronny Cooksey read three times during the marathon: Genesis 1-2 to kick off the event, Ezekiel at 3 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, and Revelation 22 during the second worship service Sunday morning. The church live streamed the entire event so members and others could tune in and be encouraged any hour of the day.
Cooksey said the 78-hour event was “low budget but highly engaging.”
“It wasn’t very flashy, yet was so fun,” Cooksey told the Baptist Message. “On the one hand, it’s about lifting up the Lord’s Word and devoting a weekend to just elevating His Word. And then we had a team accomplishment feeling, where long-time and even new members came together for a fun event.
“When I announced the event last year, I wondered if there would be enough interest,” he continued. “To my joy, the response was much better than I could have hoped. Everyone loved it and wanted to do it again this year.”
Event Coordinator Clint Caughman, a layman who works in logistics for the Marines, read 20 chapters of Genesis and then again with his daughter, Kallie, from various chapters in Matthew and Mark.
“It’s a great event that everyone seems to enjoy,” he said. “No matter what people end up reading, they all have a unique and meaningful experience.”
