COJK,+Special,+The+Force

The Force
(Return to Assignment 5)

Quite simply, the Force is bioelectric energy. As Obi-wan Kenobi said, "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." The Force was created by God as part of the universe and intended to benefit mankind. It is the energy that exists within everything that God created. Since it was created by God it is completely good or light. It gives us life and can be used for healing. The stronger your relationship with God, the stronger your link to the Force. On a very basic level the Force can be experienced as what the Chinese call Qi, the Japanese Ki, and the East Indian Prana. It is the energy that martial artists use to perform amazing feats.
 * __The Force__**

I believe that when God first created a world without sin, that Adam and Eve had the ability to do many things that would be considered ‘supernatural’ by today’s standards. The ability to transcend gravity, to swim without fear of drowning, and other things I haven’t thought of yet. When sin came into the world man’s ability to tap inherently into the Force was taken away because he had created a breach in his relationship with God who had given him this gift. God didn’t want man to be able to misuse the Force in his sinful state. However, Satan was able to counterfeit the Force. And he made it available to those who chose to turn away from God. But the counterfeit Force is often unpredictable and unstable. It is fed by negative emotions and even seemingly positive emotions (such as patriotism) that can be used to serve evil ends. Then Jesus Christ came into the world to reconcile man to God. When he did this his followers (many people are followers of Jesus without realizing they are) regained the ability to tap into the original Force that was completely light. Therefore true Jedi are followers of Jesus (whether they realize it or not). You might be a Jedi and a follower of Jesus if you: - are humble - are willing to serve others - are merciful - love others, even enemies, and seek their good - are non-judgmental and don’t expect others to live exactly as you do - don’t allow yourself to be provoked - seek peaceful solutions - choose to suffer yourself rather than inflict suffering on others - remember that everyone is created in the image of God
 * __What Christian Jedi Believe about the Force__**

Hold your hands in front of you at chest level so the palms face each other, nine or ten inches apart. Slowly move them towards each other until there is only about an inch between them. Hold this position for five or ten seconds then slowly pull them apart again. Continue to do this and you should begin to feel heat and then a tingling sensation and a slight pressure building up between your palms. When you begin to feel this try pulling them farther and farther apart each time. It should feel like a ball of energy is getting larger and larger between your palms. When you are finished shake your hands downward at your sides as though flicking water off your hands.
 * __Feeling the Force__**

Once you have gotten good at the above exercise you can begin to work at making the Force flow. Begin in the same position with your hands in front of you at chest level so the palms face each other. Now concentrate on pushing the Force out of one palm and drawing it in through the other. Concentrate on guiding the Force up your arm across your shoulders and down the other arm so that the flow makes a loop. After you have gotten the Force to flow smoothly in one direction, see if you can reverse the flow so it is going the opposite direction.
 * __Making the Force Flow__**


 * BASIC FORCE EXERCISES**

Stand with your hands relaxed at your sides. As you inhale, slowly sweep your hands up in front of you. Your palms should be facing up with the fingers of each hand pointing at each other. Raise your hands like you are lifting a ball up in front of you. At chest level gently interlace your fingers and turn your palms down, thumbs rotating inward. As you exhale, with your eyes and head following your hands, raise and rotate your hands (from palms down to palms out front to palms up) until they are stretched above your head. Press your hands toward the sky, stretching your arms as far as they can go while keeping your fingers interlocked. Raise up onto your toes if you can without falling over. Remain mentally grounded however, seeing yourself as a rooted tree. Keep pushing as you fully exhale. Then inhale as deeply as comfortable. As you exhale, unlock your fingers and return your head and eyes to a forward position. Let your arms float down and out as if pressing down on two very large balloons. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. When finished consciously maintain the height and full-chested posture that you have achieved. It is good to do each exercise at least three times, once or twice a day. From the horse stance move your left foot out so your feet are wider than shoulder-width apart with your weight evenly distributed. As you inhale, sweep your arms up into a crossed position so your wrists cross about six inches in front of your heart with the right wrist inside, palms facing the body. As you exhale, look at the wrists where they cross. Concentrate on that spot. Curl the fingers of your right hand into a loose fist as if to draw the string of a bow. Rotate your left hand so the palm faces away from the left side of the body. Imagine that you are holding a bow in your left hand and the string with your right. As you inhale, turn your eyes and head to follow the left fingers as you push the left hand out until it is fully extended with the hand at a 90 degree angle to the arm. The right fist “pulls” the string steadily back until the right fist is in front of the right shoulder with the arm parallel to the ground. Allow the hips to rotate partially toward the left side (thus allowing further lung stretch), and the knees to straighten somewhat. Don’t twist your chest.With your arms at full stretch concentrate on opening your chest. As you exhale return your hands to the crossed position. Repeat the exercise with opposite hands.exercise Advanced Force Teachings "Luke, don't talk that way. You have a power I don't understand and could never have." - Leia "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." - Jesus, to his disciples (Acts 1:8) When Darth Vader said to Obi-Wan, "Your powers are weak, old man," he was not only showing disrespect for his mentor; he was undermining the Jedi's distinctive role as a peacekeeper whose mastery of the Force enabled him to uphold just causes and fulfill his destiny. Jedi hopefuls trained for the day when a Jedi Master would invite them to become an Apprentice, where they would enter the trials and hone three kinds of skills: to control, to sense, and to alter. Controlling allows a Jedi his or her own inner Force. With this skill the Jedi learns to master thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sensing helps the Jedi become aware of the Force in things beyond and outside of himself or herself, and by extension feel the bonds that connect all things. Altering allows a Jedi to change the distribution and nature of the Force in order to create illusions, move objects, and change perceptions. Throughout history, Jedi Christians have honed their powers of self-control, discernment, and the altering of situations and circumstances. At the outset of their journey, they receive power to become the sons and daughters of God. As Jesus prepared to return to the Father, he promised his apprehensive disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit, who would be the Christians' advocate, helping them remember the teachings of Jesus, giving them the words to say in tense situations and endowing them with unique and powerful gifts for serving the Lord of the Force. This indwelling Holy Spirit facilitates the inner control often referred to as self-control. The Jedi Knight is known for peace, knowledge, and serenity; the Christian is known for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These may seem less spectacular than the more demonstrative displays of power, but they are in fact the foundation from which all other power is distributed. St. John of the Cross recognized this spirit as the source of Christian love: "Contemplation is nothing else but a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which, if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love." As the gardener carefully cultivates the tree over a long period of time so it will produce fruit, the Christian's daily disciplines of self-denial, meditation, and contemplation clear the way for a fuller infusion of the Holy Spirit to produce spiritual fruit in daily life. Mature Christians who master these disciplines are sometimes referred to as "full of the Holy Spirit" because their spiritual life is so obviously fertile and consistently bears fruit. As they master the presence of the Lord of the Force in their own life, they become discerning about other people and events in their environment; thi gives them a calm yet commanding presence. When Jesus read scripture in the synagogue, the people took notice because he spoke with authority. He anticipated the objections of the Pharisees and Sadducees, he sensed the presense of evil spirits, and he knew when to stay in or leave a village. His everyday decisions were made with a combination of calm self-assuredness and complete awareness of his surroundings. In the film The Bourne Identity, we learn that Jason Bourne has been trained to be aware of every detail as he enters a new situation. The Christian of Jedi aspiration possesses these same powers of observation but is also sensitized to the underlying spiritual dynamics and nuance. Jesus told his followers to "pray without ceasing," and Brother Lawrence (1605-1691) erferred to "practicing the presence of God" each moment of the day. As we cultivate God's presence, we begin to see our daily environment as He sees it. We weep in situations that move God. We become angry about the injustices that anger God. We see through the facade that people project and intuitively sense their underlying spirit. Moved by the spirit of God, we use our abilities of discernment (to see or understand; to make distinctions; to discern between good and evil and betwen truth and falsehood) to advance the kingdom of God toward justice and truth. The follower of Jesus can alter the environment on a daily basis through a powerful spiritual presence. When Jesus showed up, people noticed something different about him; the same is true of an empowered Christian. As we've already seen, he or she seeks a daily infusion of God's spirit, resulting in enthusiasm in everyday life. We usually associate enthusiasm with emotional exuberance, but the Greek root of the word signifies the "breathing in of God." This almost oxygenated richness inspired John Wesley to say, "Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." Enthusiasm is not the domain of a particular personality type; it is a characteristic of any person whose life channels the powerful presence of God. Reflected through a rich, unique personality, the Christian's priorities and winsome spiritual qualities alter each situation as it is encountered. People were drawn to Jesus because of his miraculous works, but he chided them for not seeing the deeper power of God at work in less visibly spectacular but ultimately more astounding ways. For example, by forgiving the sins of a lame man prior to healing him, he put the physical miracle in perspective next to the more extraordinary and eternally significant spiritual healing. Jesus knew his very presence transformed more people than his miracles did. Liekwaise, St. Francis believed the Christian's presence speaks louder than words or supernatural acts: "Preach the gospel - and if you must, use words." Journalist H.M. Stanley's experience supported this point when, in 1871, he discovered the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingston ni Central Mrica and entered the presence of a true Jedi Christian. After just a brief time with him, he said: "If I had been with him any longer I would have been compelled to be a Christian, and he never spoke to me about it at all." Each Christian is given gifts to empower service and to alter the situation in which he or she is placed; included are gifts of serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, hospitality, and administrating. Paul also mentions gifts of prophesying, healing, and speaking in tongues. A Christian might display supernatural powers in a specific situation. Samsom developed superhuman strength when "the apirit moved upon him." Jesus routinely healed people, cast out demons, and on occasion walked on the water or calmed a storm. Jesus' disciples sometimes worked signs and wonders, and Peter and John called upon God to heal a lame man who then rose up and walked. These same extraordinary miracles take place today and can be used to bring outpourings of glory to God. Though dramatic, as in Jesus' day they aresecondary to reflecting the presence of God in everyday life, which is a Christian's primary calling. The Apostle Paul said, "The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power" and prayed "that you may have power with all the saints, to grasp how wide and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." When teaching on this passage, the "Jedi" A.W. Tozer once said, "An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others. "Now, that's what I call a powerful miracle. You've got the power; employ it for the advancement of God's kingdom. -Dick Staub, Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters
 * __Exercise 1 - Reaching for the Sky__**
 * __Exercise 2 - The Archer__**