The "Jan Hus Legacy" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking the beautiful grounds of the historic Moravian Church in Lititz, Pennsyl- vania.  Today the grounds in front of the church are covered with hundreds of small American flags, lined in perfect rows, in honor of our Nations's Independence Day.  

Placard of the Lititz Moravian Church

What a sight to behold as you walk down East Main Street and see the majestic grounds of the church.  The church building was erected in 1787 and is the fifth place of worship for the Moravians of Lititz.  In 1957 the building was devastated by fire, but carefully restored the following year.  

Etching of Jan Hus

My story today is not about the church proper, but about the 600th anniversary of the death on July 6, 1415 of Jan Hus, a Catholic priest whose reformation efforts and death by burning at the stake led to the establishment of the Moravian Church.  Jan (John) Hus was born in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) in 1369 and became a Catholic priest in 1400.  At the time there was great turmoil in the Catholic Church with several men claiming to be the true pope.  Hus' beliefs mirrored those of an English theologian and Catholic dissident, John Wycliffe.  Hus opposed the sale of indulgences, accused priests of living extravagant lifestyles and believed the scriptures should be read in the language of the people rather than in Latin which only the priest could read and understand.  

Hus being burned at the stake

He also believed that parishioners should be able to receive both the bread and wine as stated in the Bible, instead of just the bread which was the Catholic practice at the time.  When Hus became the priest of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague he preached his beliefs from the pulpit.  That didn't sit well with the Catholic hierarchy so in 1414 he was summoned before the Council of Constance, put on trial and found guilty.  He eventually was given the chance to recant his positions, but when he refused, he was put to death.  

Monument featuring Jan Hus

His death didn't deter his followers known as The Unitas Fratrum.  They continued to meet and grow in size.  In 1457 they organized as a church in Bohemia.  Then in 1722 the followers were given safe haven in Moravia by a Lutheran, German religious and social reformer Nicholas Zinzendorf.  Zinzendorf helped the followers establish the Unitas Fratrum's traditions.  He believed in the practice of piety which emphasized prayer and scripture instead of the teachings of the Catholic church at the time.  He also claimed "There could be no Christianity without community."  

Another view of the Moravian Church.

As their theology spread worldwide, now known as Moravians since they hailed from Moravia,  they created communities with Lititz, Pennsylvania being one such community.  The death of Jan Hus 600 years ago led to the Moravian movement, even though at the time of his death he had only wanted to reform an ill church.  Today, July 6th, at the Lititz Moravian Church, the Rev. Dean Jurgen will talk about the influence and subsequent outcome the death of Jan Hus 600 years ago had on the establishment of the Moravian community and the Lititz Moravian Church.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.