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CONSIDER

  PREPARING TO TAKE A VOW

Before you take any kind of vow, it is vital to count the cost carefully and to prepare diligently (Proverbs 20:25).  The old monasteries and Orders to this day apply a lengthy “novitiate” period for prospective members. During this time, novices explore the vows and prepare themselves for the rigors of their Rule to see if it is truly right for them.
 

Taking time, forming friendships
  • The original Order of the Mustard Seed evolved slowly over several years until eventually Zinzendorf and his friends settled on a vow that was both true to the Gospel and appropriate to their lives.
  • Jesus spent forty days fasting in the wilderness before launching out in public ministry and a whole night in private prayer before choosing the twelve disciples.
In cutting a covenant with friends, we must be careful not to manipulate, hurry, or hype the obligation, but rather allow the relationships to mature naturally to the place of deeper commitment.
 

Young people and Married people

 

The book of Deuteronomy advises us very practically about making vows. Those still living in their parents’ homes should avoid taking such a promise without parental consent (30:3-5). Those who are married should talk the commitment through with their partner first (30:6-8). On the basis of this advice, we would discourage people from entering into the Mustard Seed Vow before the age of consent or if their marriage partner opposes the commitment.
 

Prayer and Study
  
If you are planning to take the vow alongside others, you could gather together, in the build-up to the ceremony, to discuss the meaning of and the challenge presented by each of the three vows you are preparing to make. During this period, it is also strongly advised that you take time to examine your heart in the light of each promise, confessing to God and one another areas of selfishness and sin that the Holy Spirit highlights as you do so.
  
Jesus prepared himself for big decisions and key moments of his life by withdrawing in order to fast and pray – sometimes all night. In the same way, as you build up to your vow, you may choose to go on a retreat or a pilgrimage to a place of personal spiritual significance or to conduct your own night vigil in prayer. Immediately prior to the ritual, you may like to prepare yourself spiritually by fasting for at least a day.
  
As well as preparing prayerfully, the group will need to make practical decisions for the ceremony, agreeing upon a significant date and time for the covenant to be activated and allocating responsibilities for the day.
 

Symbolism
 
Consider an appropriate outward symbol of your heart commitment.
  • The Nazirites  in the bible shaved their heads and burned the hair as an offering to God.
  • Jonathan gave David his cloak.
  • Zinzendorf inscribed rings.
  • Partners in business and marriage sign an official document.
  • You might even consider designing a tattoo—should your conscience permit—to be worn for life by the members of your covenant community.
 

Some frequently asked questions:

   DOES THE VOW HAVE TO BE LIFE-LONG?
Yes.
   COULDN'T THE IDEA OF A LIFELONG VOW BE USED TO CONTROL PEOPLE?
At an international level there is no way of controlling members of the Order, beause we have set this up in such a way as to subvert systems of control and to avert organisational structures. At a local level it is very important that men and women carefully count the cost of entering into this (or any other) covenant relationship and having done so, continually return to a place of freedom and grace marked by the three elements of the vow:
*** loyalty to Christ (and thus, ultimately, not to any man or woman)
*** kindness to one another (the antithesis of controling one another)
*** a shared commitment to focus outwards on the needs of the poor and the lost (a healthy counterbalance to the type of introversion and self-absorption on which control tends to feed).
“It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.” (Prov. 20:25)
   ISN'T IT WRONG TO 'ADD' SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH?
The Mustard-Seed vow does not add anything new to the gospel or the commands of Jesus. In fact it's three elements simply reflect Jesus’ most fundamental instructions to his followers:
  • The Great Commandment: to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matt.22:27);
  • The Great Commission: To go and make disciples of all nations (Matt.28:18-20).
For most, the Mustard-Seed vow will not be a “new” commitment. It will be a consecration of their existing heart-decision to follow Jesus. If it also serves the purpose of causing some to recognise that they have never made a meaningful personal commitment to Christ, then we thank God for this revelation!

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