The Zion Church in Berlin, Germany has managed to double its attendance on Sunday, with about 500 people in packed inside the place of worship. The reason? It was a special service with a special theme - "Star Wars." The congregation, most of whom were wearing "Star Wars" attire, entered the church to the tune of the franchise's iconic theme being played on the church organ. Later, the attendees listened to a sermon by lightsaber-wielding pastors, according to FOX Nation.
The Force seems strong in Berlin.
Conservative Christians criticized the church's theme, of course, with some people thinking that the church's decision to cater to pop culture was "unholy." However, the leaders of the Zion church, who are huge "Star Wars" fans, disagree.
"'Star Wars' picks up religious images, including Christian images and maybe some from other religions. In doing so, it shows that the Bible and the church are part of our culture that keeps being reworked and reinterpreted," Protestant pastor Lucas Ludwig said, according to German Pulse.
Regardless of the criticisms, the service was undoubtedly a success, with the number of attendees reaching twice the usual number that attend on a regular Sunday. The attendees seemed to have enjoyed the special service as well, which even included some clips from the franchise being played on a big screen, reports CNet.
Ludwig, for one, was very happy with the result of the service.
"We were very happy to see so many people in the church today. It's great that there are subjects that people are interested in. They trust us to make them part of the church service without making it too Christian or too 'Star Wars,' but to find a good compromise," he said.
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