3rd Compass -> Group News and Articles -> Letter to Oberammergau, Bavaria

Letter to Oberammergau, Bavaria (Reference)
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Minister Ty Alexander
(Ty Huynh)
  4/12/2020
A few hours ago, I sent an email to the Passion Play organization of Oberammergau, Bavaria and felt I should post it here. I had learned about their tradition of putting the play on every ten years from news reports and was concerned about their postponing it a couple years, because it appeared they had made a vow to God that should be kept. So I sent the message to warn Oberammergau about making and breaking vows.



To: info@passionsspiele-oberammergau.de

Greetings people of Oberammergau,

I am a minister and teacher of Christ Jesus and became concerned about your postponement of the play because it appears to be part of a vow to God that your community committed to. Vows to God are still sacred and breaking them is a sin, which is why the New Testament teaches us not to make vows or swear by anything (James 5:12; Matthew 5:33-37).

But if we do make vows, especially to God, then we must be careful to keep them (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7; Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Psalm 50:14, 76:11).

I do not know the exact words your community originally gave God so that they would be saved from the plague centuries ago, but it appears you did make a vow to the Lord to put on a play every ten years, and He expects you to uphold it. So I urge you to perform the play on-time as you have promised. You can make changes to limit the virus’s spread, but the play should go on this year. Otherwise, the judgment for breaking a vow to God can be worse than what COVID-19 would do.

Know, too, that the pandemic is God’s judgment on the world and His People. It is fully within His control, so you should understand that and respect God’s hand so that you would place your fear in the right places instead of on a virus – fear the Lord’s judgment for sin. But those who belong to Christ and seek His righteousness will be spared through these times of great hardship.

Remember these words:
“When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay…” (Ecclesiastes 5:4).

“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment” (James 5:12).

And Christ said, “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil” (Matthew 5:33-37).

May you change your plans to keep the play on this year. And so you know, if your community wishes to come out of a vow then you need to ask the Lord to release you from it formally in prayer. Feel free to contact me for anything. Be blessed in keeping your play on and in peace and wisdom, through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Ty Alexander Huynh
Minister and Teacher of Christ Jesus
Christ Hephzibah Church – 3rd Compass
3rdCompassDOTorg



3rd Compass -> Group News and Articles -> Letter to Oberammergau, Bavaria


 


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