Into the Unknown

By Bud Fickley, Pastor of Student Ministry

There are so many movies out there that have themes that can be related to our faith. As a father of three kids ages five and under, I watch a lot of Disney movies these days. At times, Disney movies drive me a little crazy, but I have to admit that the company has a way with children’s musicals. One whose theme feels particularly relevant to my life right now is Frozen II. One of the best-known songs from the movie is “Into the Unknown.”  Elsa sings:

I’m sorry, secret siren, but I’m blocking out your calls.
I’ve had my adventure, I don’t need something new.
I’m afraid of what I’m risking if I follow you.

Into the unknown
Into the unknown

If you’ve ever felt the Spirit of God calling you (maybe like a “secret siren”) to follow, it’s usually into the unknown. This is probably why so many of us are quick to relegate the promptings of the Spirit to nothing more than a ringing in our ears. The Spirit may call us to move in a direction that’s counter to culture or popular wisdom and even seems foolish at times. We can come up with many reasons why we feel like we shouldn’t follow in a particular direction, and yet the Spirit continues to beckon in a direction we don’t understand.

About a year and a half ago, I began the process of becoming a licensed local pastor for the express purpose of better serving the student ministry at Dutilh. Throughout that process, people kept offering the same “reminder.” I was told over and over again, “This is a process, not a checklist. Don’t be too quick to assume what the outcome will be.” 

Part of the licensing process includes continuing education once you have your local pastor’s license. My options were to take a series of 20 classes over the next 10 years or go to seminary. When I completed my undergraduate degree, I said I wasn’t going back to school…ever. But suddenly, when faced with the option of taking these continuing education courses (slowly, a week at a time, here and there – all the things that should have been appealing) I found myself being pulled toward seminary and being back in school again. Not only that, but while my intent, my assumed outcome, was to be licensed to further my work in student ministry, I felt the Spirit broadening my ministry aspirations.

I’ve long said I didn’t want to be a senior pastor, but for the first time, that seemed like a reality I could live into somewhere in the future. I still believe I’m called to work with youth in ministry, and I feel no hurry to be the lead pastor of a church. I’m blessed that God has opened a door that will allow me to continue to do that and let me explore some areas of ministry I’ve never explored, ministry areas that are very much in the “unknown.”

One of the ways that God verifies our faith is by calling us into the unknown. All throughout scripture, God calls people to step out in faith, following Him to the unknown. In Hebrews 11, a chapter referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” we read of one character after another in the Bible who is highlighted because of their ability to step out in faith and follow God. Abraham (who was Abram at the time) has a story of really following God into the unknown. Genesis 12:1-4 tells us:

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,
    those who curse you I will curse;
        all the families of the earth
            will be blessed because of you.”

Abram left just as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.

“Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.” Can you imagine being 75 years old and just packing up and leaving everything behind to head to something completely unknown? Right now, at 35, I’m struggling with moving my family away from our home and our extended family to follow God. And we’re just a morning’s drive away – we’re not even leaving the state, and we know where we’re going.

I can’t begin to imagine Abram’s struggle as he prepared to move, not even knowing where the journey would take them. But Abram had a faith in God that is exemplary, which is why we are told that Abraham believed in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham wasn’t a righteous person, but his faith made him righteous. 

Sometimes following God means going when it makes more sense to stay, and other times it means staying when it seems to make more sense to go. The point of living by faith is that when God spoke, Abraham listened – even when it meant following God into the unknown.

Editor’s note: Bud Fickley will become associate pastor of youth and family ministry at First Methodist Church in Warren, PA, on July 2.