Prayer and pigskin mix at EastLake church during Seahawks game

More than 1,500 members of Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's church assembled Sunday morning to pray for the team's victory over the Chicago Bears in the NFL playoffs and celebrate the occasion with a big ol' part-ay.

In the end, despite the Seahawks' 35-24 loss to the Bears, members of EastLake Community Church streamed out with smiles, empty beer bottles and, perhaps unlike a sports bar, a sense of grace.

"It was crazy to see how many people were here," said Devin Sepich, 14, who watched the game with friend Bronc Shuey's family.

Word that the Bothell church where Hasselbeck and other Seahawks players attend services was going to host a pregame service and tailgate party made the news and drew television cameras.

Pastor Ryan Meeks lamented that a church party would draw so much attention. But it's indicative of the stuffy reputation Christian churches have, he said.

Not this church: It hosted a live concert last year that raised more than $100,000 for a New York-based charity that builds wells in developing nations. And in March, it's hosting a public debate on pornography.

Meeks got the crowd warmed up with a 9 a.m. sermon on "Why Christians Should Be World-Class Partiers."

Just look, Meeks said, at the first miracle Jesus performed. According to the Gospel of John, the host of a party at Cana of Galilee ran out of wine, and Jesus, who was attending the event, transformed water in jugs into wine.

"Here's the son of God playing open bartender at a weeklong party," Meeks said. "It was a declaration of who he was and what he was about."

And, so, the Seahawks game day was a time for feasting and indulgence, he said.

"Whether we win or lose today, let's embrace it fully."

AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" boomed through the long hall after the sermon, as church members brought carts laden with kegs of Redhook Ale and chili in slow cookers into the 23,000-square-foot auditorium.

At commercial breaks, the three overhead 10- by 20-foot TV screens switched from the game to feeds on Twitter, and a DJ played songs to match the moment — including Lenny Kravitz's "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" in the game's fourth quarter.

Lynnwood resident Sandra Lamb, holding her 2-year-old daughter Khloe, voiced a sentiment expressed by many families here who regularly attend EastLake's services.

"For the first time in my life, I actually look forward to coming to church," Lamb said.

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com