Make Good Your Vows (Trinitarian Article)

 

Roman Votive Stele, 197 C.E., Musée gallo-romain de Fourvière, Lyon.  

 Inscription: Deo Mar/ti Aug[usto] / Callimo/rphus / secunda / rudis / v[otum] s[olvit] l[ibens] m[erito] 

(To the god Mars Augustus, Callimorphus, gladiator, second in command of his Company, on fulfilment of a prayer.)

Make Good Your Vows

Fr. Tony’s Letter to the Trinitarians

September 2019

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving;

Pay your vows to the Most High.” Psalm 50:14

I have always had issues with the way vows and sacrifices are handled in Hebrew Scripture.  It is clear that most of the references are part of the ancient world’s concern with getting the Deity on your side by promising some offering IF the Deity grants the thing for which you are praying.  Common in almost ancient and primitive cultures—and some modern ones—worldwide, this concept of votive offerings has always seemed to me just a bit too close to the idea of bribery:  do what I ask, and I’ll give you a nice juicy sacrifice.  It seems tawdry, this quid pro quo approach to prayer and intercession. 

The idea, however, is almost universal.  All over Europe and North Africa there are pagan Roman ruins strewn with votive statues or with buildings paid for by the devout or the desperate marked by the initials VSLM—votum solvit libens merito—that is, “paid for in free and willing fulfillment of a vow.”  Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Confucian, and Shinto Temples all over Asia are surrounded by small Tchotchke shops specializing in incense sticks, paper images representing wealth, and fruit and candy to be used as votive offerings at the altars of the various divinities honored. 

Sometimes such attention is addressed to a specific Deity, other times it is addressed to a more generic “to whichever god it may concern.”  This is what is behind the curious start of Paul’s speech on the Areopagus in Athens in Acts 17.  Having seen the jumble of votive statues lining the streets, he says, “I noticed while walking here an altar with the inscription ‘to a god unknown.’ Now what you are worshipping in ignorance I intend to declare to you clearly. The God who made heaven and earth does not dwell in sanctuaries built by human hands.”  The pagan worshipper who had erected the votive altar had probably prayed to multiple gods, and when the prayer request had been fulfilled, not knowing exactly which prayer had done the trick, had covered all bases with the generic “god unknown” offering title. 

Hebrew Scripture’s most common reaction to this near universal desire for votive offerings is “if you’re going to promise God stuff, just make sure you keep your promise” that is, “Make good your vows to the Lord.” (cf. Deut 23:21-23; Num 30:2; Eccl 5:4-5). James 5:12 says if you are going to promise something, or swear an oath to God, not fulfilling it will bring great condemnation.  So better to not swear an oath.  This reasoning is probably behind Jesus’ own forbidding of oaths (Matt 5:33-37          )   Some writers in the Hebrew Scriptures were troubled by the very idea of bribing God with sacrifice. We occasionally get such lines as “to obey is better than sacrifice,” and “if you don’t care for the poor, your sacrifices are an abomination to me.”  But most often, such concern is expressed in declarations that it is the praise and thanksgiving that accompanies such sacrifices that matters, not their votive character:  “Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, come into my courts with praise” (cf. Psalm 22:25; 61:8; Jonah 2:9). 

The point, then, is not to bribe God, but to express thanks.  The intentionality of a vow plus the faithfulness in actually fulfilling the vow is seen as an essential part of building relationship.  We vow not because of who God is (i.e., to change him and convince him to do what we want), but rather because there is something in our hardwiring that requires commitment and follow-through so that we can grow in relationship.  There are some passages that suggest that we do this not only for ourselves, but to build the faith and trust of those about us who witness our vow and fulfilment (cf. Deut 23:23; Psalm 116:14, 18).  The point is not showing off or having people know what you have vowed and given: just as for alms, we must not let our right hand know what our left is doing (cf.  Matt 6:3-4).  Rather, it is about doing what we need to show thanks and praise, and build relationship, and do so unashamed to have others see the process, since they will be edified by it. Intentionality, commitment, and trusting follow-through in community are what vows are all about. 

Why talk about this now?  We are one month out from the start of our annual pledge drive.    I have often heard people say, “I give money to the Church, I just don’t want to make a pledge.”  For whatever motivation, this argument misses the point of commitment and follow-through, and short circuits the piece about intentionality. 

There is a spirituality in giving.  And it rightly should include commitment and follow through.  We have a month to go before the pledge drive begins.  Let’s take these four weeks and think about how we can rightly express our thanks and praise through committed giving of our resources.  Pray about it.  Run a few budget projections.  And then commit and follow through. 

Grace and Peace.

Fr. Tony+