A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I went to university. Actually it wasnât that long ago – although it was sufficiently long ago for our American exchange students to receive flimsy blue airmail letters from home. And they started getting excited about a new movie that was just opening back home, and which was, apparently, incredible.
And our university was far, far away from the cinema – we were in Scotland and the movie was in London. But over the holidays we got together, and sat in the dark to see something quite unlike any movie weâd seen before. I still remember the chill from the rumble of the opening sequence: a starship racing over our heads into the middle distance – and then the jaw-dropping appearance of the improbably vast spaceship pursuing it.
It had me riveted from those opening words moving up the screen: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far awayâŠ
Great story-telling, and two great sequels. Lousy prequels. I hear that in the headquarters of the saga, Industrial Light and Magic, there is a model of Jar Jar Binks, encased in carbonite. If you donât get that in-joke, youâve led a sheltered life.
What has all this got to to with church, preaching and leadership?
Well, keep in your mind that very opening sequence, which has become the emblematic of the Star Wars saga. Itâs called the âopening crawlâ –Â the words moving up the screen.
They tell you what has just happened, and why itâs important. The story we were setting back into our seats to watch for that very first time, was actually the end of a chase sequence from a previous story. Thatâs why it began, not gently, but at full speed, and with a chase and a capture – and a critical escape.
The very latest movie in the family, Rogue One, will tell the story of that story.
Now hereâs where we pay attention.
dad gag
Most of the people who come to the carol services and what-not over the next few weeks, will be as familiar with the Christmas story as Iâve just deliberately assumed you are with the basic Star Wars plot. Itâs a cultural trope. And if we are not careful, we shall be as comfortingly familiar with our message. Jesus, not just a baby, grew up to be a man, cross, resurrection. Christmas has Easter wrapped inside. All wonderfully true, of course, but well inside the groove. I can wake up half way through Star Wars, hear âThose arenât the droids youâre looking for,â and know where I am in the plot, and even crack a dad-gag about it. And people can wake up half way through your Christmas sermon, hear, the word âcrucifixionâ and drift off again.
But what if we tried the Rogue One approach? Because the birth of the baby isnât the start of the story at all, is it? There is an opening crawl, which we call the Old Testament, and it explains why we begin the story on the move, with an international cast waiting for something dramatic to happen, an old man about to die, a young girl about to give birth. Iâm not trying to a cheesy parallel with the plots here – Iâm suggesting that one fresh way to approach Christmas this year would be to preach the way the gospel writers show us the back-story. Matthew and the Old Testament quotations. Lukeâs scriptural echoes. John:1:1-14 – probably the best âopening crawlâ ever.
Because if you get it right, you will get to Easter – you must. But it will make so much more sense, and be so much more intriguing and wonderful.
By 
was in London. But over the holidays we got together, and sat in the dark to see something quite unlike any movie weâd seen before. I still remember the chill from the rumble of the opening sequence: a starship racing over our heads into the middle distance – and then the jaw-dropping appearance of the improbably vast spaceship pursuing it.
And here’s a little video to help you do just that: https://plungepool.uk/someoneiscoming/
Great!
Thanks Chris. Helpful inspiration as I start work on my carol service talk on Isaiah 9 this morning!