My 6, 8, and 10 year old nieces have been teasing me lately that I’m “obsessed” with the movie Frozen II.  They are not wrong.  It is a bit ironic that I have seen this movie more than they have.  My confession today is that I really do love this movie.  I have seen it no less than 7 times.  Oh goodness, don’t judge!

There are many things I could tell you that I love about this movie, but I’ll stick to just three today that particularly relate to faith!  Disclaimer - no spoilers here!  Also, you don’t have to have seen the movie to keep reading.  These three points come from 3 of the songs and I’m including links so you can watch them.

Some things Never Change

In the beginning of the movie Anna and Olaf sing a song that lists things that keep changing.  They reference the change of seasons, cooling temperatures and leaves falling.  But they find strength in knowing that some things do not change - friendship, love, and the safety of being in community.  A couple of weeks ago I was walking with my niece and we were talking about all of the things that have changed recently for us, no school, no restaurants, and the end of her basketball season (to name a few of the very many.)  Then we listed the things that won’t change, like our love for family, the joy of nature, the stories we tell and read that bring joy.  I’d add to that list our God, who remains faithful and true to us even in these times of wild and unsettling change.  

Into the Unknown

The real plot of the movie picks up when Elsa hears a voice calling to her.  She doesn’t know who or what it is, or what it will demand of her, which turns out to be a lot.  So she sings: 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…”  We don’t know how the next few days, weeks, and months are going to go.  We listen to the news, we speculate over phone calls, we lament with our families about how unsettling this unknown really is.  In this song Elsa sings:Are you out there? Do you know me? Can you feel me? Can you show me?  This feels like a prayer to me.  These are the words I’m praying myself right now.  I pray because I trust that God is a strength for me in the midst of what is unknown.  I pray because I need to let go of my uncertainty and believe that there is hope for tomorrow.

The Next Right Thing

In this moment near the end of the movie Anna has to do a difficult thing.  She doesn’t know what will happen, she doesn’t have a map of where to go, or a complete set of instructions to follow.  What she has is the wise advice she’s been given to “do the next right thing.” This little piece of advice has been fuel for me in the last few weeks.  There isn’t much I can do to solve the problem of a worldwide pandemic, there isn’t much I can even offer to fix problems here in Minnesota.  But what I can do is - the next right thing.  Caring for people, listening to people, sewing a mask for someone else, feeding my family, sending a card, telling a story.  One thing at a time.  As you pay attention and do the next right thing - whatever that may be for you in your context - you show that you are living with a new kind of hope.  Even when it's hard, providing that kind of hope is an alleluia!

This devotion may need to have a Part 2, because I didn’t even get started on my feelings about Olaf singing “this will all make sense when I am older” or the amazingness of the 80’s rock ballad “Into the woods.”   Until then, I will probably watch the movie one more time and see what other wisdom I can find!

Hoping you’re immersed in a good story today too!

Pastor Sara

PRAYER

Gracious God, thank you for the stories that help me to see your faithfulness at work in my life.  Amen.