Lutheran Pastor Reveals 1-Minute Service to Watch 49ers Was a Joke
The Butte, Mont., Lutheran pastor who made headlines for delivering what appeared to be a one-minute service on Sunday so he could watch the NFC Divisional Playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers said he was just having fun and actually delivered a full sermon that day.
"The truth is, I actually came back in after that and did a whole service. So that one minute was just like my lead up to it," Pastor Tim Christensen of Gold Hill Lutheran Church said in a video interview with RightThisMinute.
"Everybody thought I was serious, but I started getting booed by the Vikings and Packers fans in my congregation. So I came back in and did a full worship service after – that was just my way of adding a little levity to the day."
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The pastor noted, "Sometimes people get the impression that Christians are really uptight people and judgmental. I was just having fun."
On Monday, the one-minute service video was posted on several news sites, where the pastor is seen asking his congregation "Would you all like to be forgiven for your sins?" After the people answer "yes," he tells them "Ok, you are."
Christensen then offers them Communion-on-the-go: "There is some bread, and some wine up here on the table. You feel free to help yourself if you'd like to," and quickly ends the service by revealing his 49ers shirt under his vestments and leaving the pulpit.
The apparent one-minute sermon caused some discussion and debate online, with some commentators to Gold Hill's Facebook page, which posted a link to the video, expressing hopes that the video is indeed a joke.
One user, Sue Seiffert, wrote: "Not exactly the kind of video that I would want to 'go viral'; at least, not without providing more context. Please give us that context. I am hoping that it was just an opening 'stunt' that led to a meaningful reflection on priorities or perhaps on what is core in our worship."
Christensen revealed that some people did indeed believe he just left after that one minute, but clarified that he returned right after.
As for the football game, which the 49ers won 23-10, the Lutheran pastor revealed that he DVR-ed it and watched it later with his wife.
"My son had started the recording at home, we went through the whole worship service. I refused to check text messages, phone calls, Facebook, anything. I was trying to stay in the dark," Christensen said.
