The following are prayers, liturgies, and service elements suitable for a church worship service on May 4th (May the Fourth Be With You, a traditional Star Wars Day).
Enjoy the lightheartedness of the day, even as the rest of the world is heavy.
All liturgies are Creative Commons, meaning YES you can print, project, adapt, anything without permission, but please share attribution (“Rev. Jeremy Smith, HackingChristianity.net”) in some manner. Thanks!
Beginning of Service
Call to Worship (Traditional)
“The Force will be with you, always.”
We know our God is guiding us through the challenges of life.
Even though we know “Fear is the path to the dark side.” In times of uncertainty, we “do or do not, there is no try.”
We choose love and faith over fear and distrust.
When we face trials, we remind each other, “Never tell me the odds.” We know that “the greatest teacher, failure is,” as we learn from our mistakes and grow in faith and understanding.
With God, all possibilities are present, and we persevere with hope.
“You must unlearn what you have learned” as we let go of past burdens. We won’t be the church by “fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.”
We embrace new life and transformation in Christ.
“Rebellions are built on hope,” and our hope is in God’s persistent love. Empower us to be agents of change in the world, striving for justice, peace, and love in God’s holy name. “This is the Way.”
We gather in peace, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
God says to us, “I love you.”
The people reply, “I know.”
May the Faith Be With You…Always. Amen.
Gathering Collect
O Force, Binder of the Universe,
Who gave life to us and sustained us through every Emperor’s dark reign,
Do continually spur us to offer something more than a hokey religion and ancient weapons to a world without wonder,
Through the Redeemed Anakin Skywalker we pray, Amen.
Opening Unison Prayer
God of Light and Love,
we come to you from many places,
some weary, some hopeful,
some longing for a spark to guide the way.
You have called together rebels and dreamers,
the faithful and the wandering,
the burdened and the bold,
to be your people in a broken world.
By your Spirit, make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
one with all creation groaning for redemption,
one with all who seek the good, resist the evil, and dare to hope.
Shine your light among us, O God,
that we may walk in your ways,
and bear your peace into every place of fear.
In your mercy, gather us,
in your grace, send us,
in your love, make us whole.
Amen.
Contemporary Service Prayer
We come tired.
We come hopeful.
We come looking for a spark in the dark.
You gather us —
the dreamers, the warriors, the ones still holding on.
By your Spirit, surround us and bind us and make us one:
one with Christ,
one with each other,
one with every broken piece of your beautiful world and galaxies unending.
Shine through us,
send us out,
and help us never lose sight of your light.
Amen.
sermon and message
For lectionary churches, consider the following sermon prompts for the lectionary for the Third Sunday of Easter (readings here). For non-lectionary churches, enjoy the inspiration!
1. “Blinded by the Light: Learning to Be Again”
- Scripture: Acts 9:1-20
- Theme: Real faith often starts when God strips away our false certainties. Conversion isn’t from bad to good; it’s from being guided by illusions to faith.
- Illustrations: Saul was knocked flat on his back by God when he lost his path. Luke lost his path in The Last Jedi; Ahsoka left the Jedi Order; Andor chose not to make his horrible life choices be in vain. Not everything we thought was good is good; not every mission we fight for is righteous.
2. “The Cost of Hope”
- Scripture: Revelation 5:11-14 + Psalm 30
- Theme: Hope is not cheap; it demands sacrifice and trust in a future we may never see. Hope is not naive optimism. It’s gritty, stubborn, and willing to pay a cost so that it creates life beyond us.
- Illustrations: Rogue One heroes all die; Bothans died to get Death Star plans; Luthen loses his soul and causes pain for the rebellion. Jesus (the lamb in Revelation) is victorious because He chose to die.
3. “Feed My Sheep: Choosing Love”
- Scripture: John 21:1-19
- Theme: After failure and loss, Jesus calls us not to perfection, but back to love. Jesus doesn’t ask if we are perfect, but if we are seeking to be made perfect through Love.
- Illustrations: Jesus doesn’t shame Peter but calls him to action. Ahsoka could have chosen bitterness but maintains her grace, especially to her closest people. Obi-Wan could have killed Anakin but chose faith. Luke lost his path after trying to kill Ben Solo, and found it again in Rey.
hymns and music
This is the silliest section – skip it if you are looking for serious contributions. These are parodies of traditional hymns that would work for bulletin or projection titles. For familiarity’s sake, these pay homage to Episode IV-VI. These are only the titles: it is up to you to either rewrite the lyrics in your own way or simply sing the correct words with a fandom title. 🙂
Processional Hymn [celebrating the true beginning of the story – A New Hope]
- Seek ye first the droids on Tatooine.
- Oh, For a Thousand Tatooines
- O little grounds of Alderaan / How dim we see thee glow [TOO SOON]
- It only takes a spark / To get a Death Star glowing!
Responsive Hymn [remembering the conflict of The Empire Strikes Back]
- As the Tauntaun panteth for the water / so Han Solo longeth after Leia.
- There is a Tauntaun filled with blood…and smells worse on the inside.
- Vader, did you know?
- Oh Yoda was a wee little man / A wee little man was he
- On Dagobah’s rocks I headstand / But my X-wing’s in sinking sand / But my X-wing’s in sinking sand
- Once in Royal, Cloud City
- Abide with me; fast falls the Dark Side / The Dark Side deepens / The Force with me abide.
Recessional Hymn [commemorating the triumph of The Return of the Jedi]
- What can wash away the Sith? / Nothin’ but the Force of the Jedi!
- Away in a Sarlacc, a pit for his bed / the bounty hunting Boba wished Han Solo dead.
- O Sarlacc that will not let me go
- Father, I Endor You
- And Ewoks with me and Ewoks with me / and tells me I’m their own.
Celebration of the Prequels. There are some congregations that celebrate the heresy of the Prequels (Episode 1-3). While these are mostly schismatic Gungans, they do have a legitimate oral tradition and we should have a reconciliatory spirit. Thus, consider offering hymns such as:
- Ani walks with me / Ani talks with me / Ani tells me I’m 3-PO
- I have decided / to follow Grievous
- Hark the herald Troopers sing / For Emperor Palpatine / He killed all the Jedi Knights / To rule all with shocking might
- All hail the pow’r of Vader’s name / The Empire prostrate falls
- And my personal favorite: Our Lord Vader is risen today / No-o-o-o-o O-o-o-o-o!
responses
Unison Prayers of Response
Depending on the bent of your congregation, you may want to pick one of the Jedi or Sith codes.
Jedi Worship service: There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no death, there is the Force.
Sith Worship service: Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken.
Offertory Prayer
“For Luke so loved the Force that he gave his only begotten hand,
may we also sacrifice in our own way to emulate his devotion.
May our faith always be found disturbing. Amen.”
Holy communion
Holy Communion
The following is in the United Methodist tradition; feel free to adapt it to your tradition’s required liturgical elements.
Part 1: The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Out of the dust of stars, you shaped worlds unseen
even in a galaxy far, far away.
You formed light to shine in every darkness,
calling all creation to dance in harmony with you.
When galaxies drifted from your ways,
when hearts, like twin suns, burned with pride and fear,
you spoke through desert and forest sages,
through dreamers and warriors,
through unexpected voices in unexpected times.
From the Republic’s hollow height to the Empire’s depths,
from broken temples to hidden rebellions,
you planted seeds of hope,
a remnant always faithful to your promise.
In the fullness of time, you sent your Son, Jesus, born of Mary.
He came among us, not with blasters or armies or even the Force,
but with mercy, healing, and peace.
He taught of Your reign where the meek inherit the stars,
where the last are first, and love is stronger than fear.
When betrayal loomed like a dark side unseen,
He remained steadfast.
Your Spirit anointed Him
to proclaim freedom to captives,
sight to those emerging from Carbonite,
peace to those caught in endless wars, local and galactic.
Through His life, death, and resurrection,
You broke the power of darkness.
You forged a new covenant —
stronger than beskar,
wider than the galaxy’s reach.
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven,
with Leia’s courage, Luke’s hope, Rey’s longing,
with Mando’s steadfast care, Grogu’s silent wonder,
with Ahsoka’s unwavering grace, and Andor’s spark of rebellion,
we praise Your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Part 2: Remembering the Night, Blessing the Elements
Use the traditional liturgy here, or one familiar to your congregation. Even though the rest of the service is fun and imaginative, it’s important to be rooted in your tradition at this point.
Part 3: Prayer After Communion
Eternal God,
we give you thanks for this holy mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
Send us now into the world —
not as wielders of might,
but as bearers of light,
guardians of hope,
seekers of peace.
Where darkness rises, let us stand.
Where fear reigns, let us endure.
Where the way is uncertain, may we trust in you,
the true and everlasting Light.
Guide us, O God,
until the stars themselves sing of your glory,
and every galaxy reflects your reign of love.
Amen.
sending forth
Benediction
Honestly, the best benediction and call to action in Star Wars so far is from Maarva in Andor. So it’s in that style that we have the words of benediction, sending forth.
Go now, awake and alive.
We have slept;
we have turned away;
we have trusted comfort over courage.
But the darkness has grown in our silence,
a wound spreading across all we love.
Today, we remember:
There is a Light no darkness can overcome.
There is a hope no fear can silence.
There is a call no evil can erase.
The time for sleeping is over.
The time for turning away has passed.
Go now —
to seek the good,
to resist the darkness,
to fight with all the gifts God has placed in your hands.
Go now —
awake, alive, and unafraid.
Amen.
Your Turn
Thoughts?
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(Some elements repurposed from 2014 Star Wars Day)
All liturgies are Creative Commons, meaning you can print, project, adapt, anything without permission, but please share attribution (“Rev. Jeremy Smith, HackingChristianity.net”) in some manner. Thanks!
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