May The Force Be With You

May the Force Be With You.

Today is Star Wars Sunday, and that’s kind of special because it only happens every seven years or so, and for some of you, you know exactly what I’m talking about and for the rest of you when I explain it will simply diminish me in your eyes.

Today’s date is May the Fourth, May the Fourth Be With You. Get it? Actually the first time the phrase was used it was less geeky, maybe.

The reference was first used on May 4, 1979 when Margaret Thatcher's political party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News after she took office as Prime Minister the ad simply said "May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.”

But it wasn’t until 2011 that people really began to connect the dots when the first organized Star Wars Day took place in Toronto, in 2012 the event happened again and geeks around the world embraced the day.

So what does that have to do with Sunday, and church and Denn’s message? Glad you asked.

For those of who have never seen any of the Star Wars movies, what’s wrong with you? Sorry that was judgemental.

Most of you understand that the story was set A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..... I still remember how I felt the first time I saw that crawl across the big screen with John Williams score playing behind it.

And I don’t want to get into the theology of Star Wars, but let if be suffice to say that the original movie and all that have come after tell the story of good and evil and the conflicts of human nature. Plus they have really cool light sabres and a wookie.

But after six films the entire franchise is still identified with the words; “May the force be with you.”

The expression "May the Force be with you" has achieved cult status and is symbolic of the Star Wars legacy. The line has been said in some form by at least one character in each of the Star Wars movies

In 2005, the line was chosen as number 8 on the American Film Institute list, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes.

If you are wondering what the other seven were, four of them were “Go ahead make my day”, “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” ,"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." And of course the number one movie quote was Rhett Butler’s line in Gone with the Wind.

And you are thinking, “So what?” What does that have to do with anything? And that’s a good question, one you should ask every time you hear someone speak into your life.

Well here’s the back story, in the quest of good and evil the Empire is Evil and the Rebels are Good, it comes down to a show down where Luke Skywalker and others need to destroy the Death Star. Their military leaders gather them together for one last locker room pep talk.

The famous line is actually said by General Dodonna after explaining the Death Star attack plan to the Rebel pilots and then it is said again by Han Solo to Luke, right before the attack on the Death Star battle station

For those who missed the movie or have forgotten the scene here it is. (Video Clip)

1) The Reality is Defined

2) A Vision is Cast

3) The Victory is Placed in the Hands of a Higher Power

And again you are wondering “So What?” Let’s go back to the scripture that was read for us earlier.

2 Corinthians 13:7 We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.

1) Reality is Defined Sometimes you will hear someone say they wish the church was more like the New Testament Church, or when someone is starting a new church they will say that their church will be a New Testament Church. Seriously? When people say that I wonder if they have actually read the New Testament? If they even know what the New Testament church was like?

For those of you who are familiar with the two letters in the bible that are written to the church in Corinth, the church was a mess. I have received letters through the years challenging the way we do things at Cornerstone and sometimes the way we’ve handled a situation. But if I had of got a letter like the first letter that Paul sent to the church in Corinth I would have gotten a blankie, gone and curled up in bed and never come out.