The One Sunday that I Hoped No One Would Come to Church

The date was November 26th 1989.  I was in my fourth year of ministry at Christ Lutheran Church in Regina, Saskatchewan.  At that time our church was holding three worship services each Sunday, two in the morning and one in the evening.  The evening services were intended to provide an opportunity for those who couldn’t make it to the morning services to still worship on a Sunday.  These evening services were more informal by nature and, truth be told, not that well attended.  The responsibility for presiding at these evening services simply rotated between the three pastors on staff.  Sunday November 26th was my turn in the rotation.

When the preaching schedule was drawn up for November I didn’t anticipate any conflicts, however that month the Saskatchewan Roughriders went on a tear through the playoffs, beating the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Semi-final, and then surprising everyone with their defeat of the dominant team of the league that year, the Edmonton Eskimoes (who were 16 wins, 2 losses in the regular season) – thus advancing to the Grey Cup game as the best of the west.  November 26th was the Grey Cup game!

It must be mentioned at this point that prior to 1989 the Saskatchewan Roughriders had only won the Canadian Football League championship once, in 1966 – even though they had been in existence since 1910.  They had not advanced to the Grey Cup game since 1976, they hadn’t even made the playoffs between 1978 and 1987 – this happening in a 9 team league where only the absolutely worst teams in a division don’t make the playoffs.  Thus to be playing in the Grey Cup game in 1989 was cause for great excitement in the province of Saskatchewan, it was a rare event in those years.

By this time I had become a fan of the Riders. Perhaps this was because I liked cheering for the underdog, and in those years the Saskatchewan team was a perpetual underdog, or perhaps there is something in the air in Regina, and the Riders simply get into your blood. For whatever reason by 1989 this Alberta boy was a true Saskatchewan Roughriders fan.

I was frustrated that I had to lead the service that evening, and I would have to miss the end of the Grey Cup game because of that, but I told myself that my call to ministry was more important than any activity of a sports team.

In the early part of the game the Roughriders fell behind, and I consoled myself by saying “Well maybe it’s better to have a reason to miss the end of the game, and not have to suffer through watching a heartbreaking loss”.  That feeling was replaced with rejuvenated hope when just before half time Saskatchewan scored their second touchdown of the quarter, drawing within a touchdown to the Hamilton Tigercats.  In the first minutes of the second half Dave Ridgway kicked a field goal pulling the Riders within 2 points of the Tigercats.  This was about the time I had to head over to the church to get ready for the service.

On the drive over to the church the streets were absolutely quiet, everyone was glued to their television sets, no one was going anywhere… except me!  I got to the church where the first thing I did was place a radio in the pulpit so I could listen to the game while setting up for the service.  The game was getting more exciting by the minute, and I was getting more frustrated that I had to miss it.  Five minutes before 7:00 PM the church was still empty, no one was showing up for the worship service. Secretly I hoped that no one would – I wanted to go home and finish watching the game.  I felt a little guilty about this, shouldn’t a pastor want people to come to worship?!  But not that night, I wanted people to stay away!  At the appointed hour still no one had come through the doors, and I became hopeful that I would indeed be able to watch the end of the game.  I couldn’t leave yet, there might be late-comers, so I set a deadline – if no one showed up in 10 minutes I would assume no one was coming and I could leave my responsibility with a good conscience.

A few minutes after the hour a car pulled into the parking lot, and my heart sank. I was going to have to lead a worship service after all.  I began to resign myself to missing the rest of the game. It was not a good feeling.

Into the church walked a woman with her teenaged daughter.  They looked around a little and spotted me at the front of the sanctuary.  The mom called out “Isn’t there any youth group tonight?”  My heart leapt up!  They weren't here for worship after all.  “No, not tonight!” I cheerfully replied.  And with that they waved goodbye, and walked out again.  I was free, by this time it was 10 minutes after the hour and no one had shown up for worship.  I quickly packed up, locked up the church and drove home.

As any Saskatchewan Roughrider fan knows, 1989 the second time in franchise history that the Riders won the Grey Cup.  It was quite a game, with the winning points coming on a field goal with no time left on the clock.  Many CFL fans have identified the 1989 game as the best Grey Cup contest ever.  There was much rejoicing in Riderville that night, and maybe even lots of prayers of thanksgiving.  It may be only a game, but in Saskatchewan the Roughriders are almost like a religion, even for pastors.

Dave Ridgway kicks the winning field goal with no time left on the clock in the 1989 Grey Cup game.