What the Church Can Learn From Star Wars

Don’t worry, no spoilers. I’m sitting down to write this 30 minutes after watching Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. I have no doubt that it will shatter all opening weekend box office records, and with good reason. Go watch it.

Like millions other kids, I grew up on Star Wars. I wanted to be a rebel like Han Solo; I wanted to be a hero like Luke Skywalker. The story of Star Wars helped define my generation. Like so many others, I was more than disappointed with the prequels. Perhaps it was too much hype, but I think the main culprit that worked against episodes 1-3 was the elevation of CGI and special effects at the expense of what truly drew people to Star Wars: the story.

It seemed like all of Episode II: Attack of the Clones was filmed in front of a green screen. George Lucas had leveraged his wealth and prestige from the first films to break new ground in the world of special effects, effects that he allowed to swallow the story in the prequels. As ‘neat’ as special effects might be, it couldn’t mask over the lack of a compelling narrative.

With the advent of Episode VII, a new day has dawned. With a new director and a new vision, hopes are incredibly high for J.J. Abrams to do what he did with the Star Trek series: revive a dead franchise. Once again, no spoilers, but I believe he met the expectations placed on him. What I didn’t see was an orgy of special effects. What I saw was a story, a return to the original characters, the ones we fell in love with: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia (but where’s Luke? You’ll have to go watch to find out).

As a pastor always trying to redeem the best aspects of culture, here’s what I think the church can learn from Star Wars: what will draw people to Christianity (and the church) isn’t the special effects, it’s the story. As a pastor of a contemporary church, I’m constantly tempted to go down the “dark side” of more lights, better staging, better equipment, slicker videos. If we’re not careful, church services can become the equivalent of Episode II, a CGI bonanza with no depth. That’s not to say that traditional or orthodox approaches to church services have it any better. Many times those approaches are still driven by special effects, just outdated versions of it.

Whether it’s an orthodox, traditional or contemporary church, it’s not the special effects that will irresistibly draw and retain people. It’s our ability to clearly and compellingly tell the story of Jesus. Sometimes special effects can help illuminate the story, but it can never replace it. If you give me rented cafeteria with nothing but metal chairs and a bullhorn, but with a team that can compellingly communicate the story of Jesus, I’ll give you a thriving church.

If you’re a pastor, worship leader, or anyone else charged with leading a church, don’t get caught up in special effects. They’re nice but ultimately peripheral. Tell the story. Tell it well. Tell it with clarity. Tell it with passion. Tell it with depth. Tell the story, and the story will do the work. Success in the Star Wars world translates to the billions of dollars this single movie will generate. Success in the church world by telling the story of Jesus will translate to billions of eternal destinies changed.

It’s the story, not the special effects. It always has been, and it always will be.