A letter from Karen Moritz serving in the Czech Republic, Winter 2015

A letter from Karen Moritz serving in the Czech Republic

Winter 2015 – An Amazing Year

As Advent and Christmas approach I am prompted to look back at the past year.  This has been an incredible year to be in Prague and to be part of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB).  2015 is the pinnacle year in a decade of anniversary celebrations for the Czech Church.  During my itineration in the U.S. last year I shared a poster created by the ECCB marking the various anniversaries from 2013 to 2018.  This decade has marked the anniversaries of the first Czech language Bible, the arrival of Christianity to the Czech lands, and celebrations of noted Reformers.  2015 marks the 600^th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Czech Reformer Jan Hus.  On Reformation Sunday this year U.S. congregations were invited to mark this important anniversary as well.

To Czechs he is known as Master Jan Hus and—because of his defense of the Czech language—he has become a cultural as well as a religious hero.  He was born in the small southern Bohemian town of Husinec between 1369 and 1371.  He came from a modest family and eventually attended Prague University (now Charles University).  He graduated from the University with a bachelor’s degree in 1393 and a master’s degree in 1396.  In 1400 he was ordained as a priest. He promptly began teaching on the faculty at the University and in 1401-2 became Dean of the Faculty of Arts.  In 1402 he became the preacher at the Bethlehem Chapel, where he continued for the next 10 years.  This was particularly fitting for Hus since the Chapel had been established in 1391 for the express purpose of preaching the Word of God in Czech.  During this time Hus also began to write.

Hus, like many of his time, became concerned about the problems in the Church and called for reform.  In the course of his university studies and his time on the faculty he began to read works of the English Reformer John Wycliffe, which had a significant impact on his theological beliefs. From the pulpit in Bethlehem Chapel he began preaching Wycliffe’s ideas and calling for reforms in the Church. Later, when Wycliffe was deemed a heretic, things became difficult for Hus and his supporters.  Hus incurred the wrath of the Church when he spoke out against the sale of indulgences. A papal interdict was placed upon the entire city of Prague in 1412, effectively withholding the sacraments from all residents for as long as Hus remained in the city.

To protect the city and the king, Hus left Prague in November and stayed in several places in the countryside, where he continued to preach in Czech and write in Czech and Latin.  In 1413 he penned De Ecclesia (On the Church), which reiterated some of Wycliffe’s ideas and advanced Hus’ own calls for reform. In 1414 Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance to advocate his position for church reform. He was under the impression that he was officially protected, but after a few weeks he was imprisoned and put on trial for heresy. After refusing to recant he was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.

The Czechs commemorate this event every year; 2015 marked the 600^th anniversary of his sacrifice.  The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) in partnership with the Czechoslovak Hussite Church marked this year with several events including an international symposium in April and a two-day festival on July 5-6 that included worship services, presentations, and concerts.

Several people from the PC(USA) joined me to participate in these events.  Rev. Dr. Michael Parker, a mission co-worker currently on the faculty at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo as professor of Church History and Mission, gave a brief presentation about Jan Hus and the Presbyterian Church.  He also preached on Sunday at the ECCB congregation in Strašnice, Prague.  He was one of several international guests who contributed to this event.

The major Hus celebration took place around the actual anniversary of his martyrdom.  July 5 and 6 marked the Commemoration Festival of Master Jan Hus here in Prague.  We hosted about 100 international guests from all over the world, including Betty McGinnis, current moderator of the PC(USA)’s Czech Mission Network, and her husband, John.  Holly and Jim Nedelka, members of Jan Hus Presbyterian Church in New York, N.Y., also attended.  Their congregation has a partnership with the ECCB congregation in Hvodznice, where they were also able to visit.

Burkhold Paetzold, Presbyterian World Mission regional liaison for Europe, also attended. Burkhard is a longtime friend of the ECCB and travels to Prague often.  As regional liaison he works with all the PC(USA) mission co-workers in Europe and is well aware of the activities of our various partners.

It has been a truly amazing year.  Although the Czech Republic is known as a country of unbelieving and unchurched people these events were a wonderful witness to the long history of faith here.  The church has survived, and thrived, amidst many challenges.  With pride our Czech ecumenical partners reminded their nation, and the world, of the importance of this early Reformer and celebrated his ongoing legacy.

I am so grateful for all the support that makes it possible for me to serve as the bridge between the PC(USA) and the ECCB.  Thank you for making it possible for me to serve here and to be a part of these incredible evangelistic events.  In addition to your generous financial support I invite you to continue in prayer for our churches and the important work of spreading the gospel.

Please pray for:
• The ECCB and their ongoing witness to the gospel and to those who have given their lives for it, including Reformers like Master Jan Hus

• For the lasting message of Jan Hus and his reminder that we are a Church “reformed and always being reformed”

• For all the Reformed churches around the world, including the ECCB and the PC(USA), who continue to embody the message of Hus

S srdečně zdravím,

With heartfelt thanks,
Karen

Rev. Dr. Karen R Moritz
ECCB Central Church office
Ecumenical Department
Jungmannova 9 P.O. Box 466
CZ 111 21 Praha 1
phone:   +420 224 999 280
mobile:  +420 739 244 885
e-mail:   moritz@e-cirkev.cz

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 330
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