Pastor ends service early to watch 49ers-Panthers game on Sunday

Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers were able to defeat Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday -- and it may have been because they had the Lord on their side.

Or, more specifically, a Montana pastor.

Tim Christensen of Gold Hill Lutheran Church in Butte, Mont., ended services early on Sunday morning so that he could go watch San Francisco play in Carolina. The game, which was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Mountain time, kicked off at the same time as Christensen’s sermon, so he made things short and sweet.

Christensen spoke for less than a minute before ripping open his robe and mocking Newton‘s Superman celebration -- a move that is now known as “Kaepernicking.” Unsurprisingly, Christensen was wearing a 49ers shirt beneath his holy garment.

This week’s NFC Championship Game between the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks isn’t scheduled to start until 4:30 p.m. in Montana, so Christensen’s flock should be able to get a full-length sermon this Sunday.

[NESN] [The Sporting News]