Rachel Fisher, Children’s Ministries Communications Specialist

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Reflection:
I think I speak for most when I say summer 2020 has not looked the same as years past. Every trip planned was canceled, work is done full-time from home, and backyard barbecues seem like a distant dream. Unique opportunities, however, have been presented that would not necessarily exist were we not all based remotely…

…which brings me to my greatest joy of this summer: “The Gospel According to Star Wars.”

For the past couple of months, this small group has explored our faith and how it relates to the world’s most famous fandom. On the surface, it may seem trivial and silly, but let me assure you, our discussions have led to some of the most profound revelations and insights I have ever experienced in a Bible study.

Before each movie conversation begins, I always ask these three questions: Why should we care? What does it mean to us as Christians? How can we grow in our faith from Star Wars? You may not be concerned with Darth Vader or the Force, but I think we can all benefit from the renewal provided by a curiosity about the world around us. 

The truth is, there is only one Gospel, and Star Wars is not it. Yet we, as followers of Jesus, are not called to be afraid and shut things out simply because it is not in the Holy Bible. In fact, we are required to do quite the opposite. 

Douglas Hall explains, “To be a Christian theologian is, surely, to open oneself—or more accurately, to find oneself being opened—to everything: every testimony to transcendence, every thought and experience of the species, every wonder of the natural order…”

In worshipping God, we reject that which distances us from him, yet we cannot forget that he created a magnificent world in which we are instructed to not only survive but to thrive. We glorify God when we explore all that the human experience can teach us, particularly through storytelling. From this, we may look to our faith and decide for ourselves what God’s will is—God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will. Only through such transformation do we receive true wisdom and a richer relationship with Christ.

Closing Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for blessing us with knowledge and creativity and tenderness and hope. You are a magnificent and mighty ruler, and we are grateful to be a part of your kingdom. Guide us through this world with open hearts and insightful minds so that we may grow closer to you in every moment of our time on Earth. Amen.