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December 5 Since yesterday was such a disastrous, depressing day, we decided to take a road trip today with the Czech Tourist Bus Agency. It was a fascinating but long trip to Herrnhut (meaning the “Lord’s Watch”) on the Czech-German border. Since my days of graduate school I have wanted to visit this town and walk in the steps of some great missionaries sent to America as well as other points on the globe. I’m not sure if my children were all that interested as I recounted for them the story of Count Nicholas from Zinzendorf (they did like repeating his name). Count Nicholas was a wealthy man, living on an inherited family estate in the early part of the 18th century.But as providence would have it, one day the Count met a converted slave from the West Indies, Anthony Ulrich. Nicholas invited Ulrich to live on his estate where he further learned of the plight of the slaves. This news so moved Zinzendorf and his band of followers that they began to pray and fast. They even began a little prayer experiment, praying around the clock, sensing the Lord was about to do something beyond what they could ask or imagine. After days of fasting and prayer, they experienced what was called “the Moravian Pentecost,” a time of deep repentance and great joy, as well as the strong inner conviction that they were to go into the world as missionaries. Leonard Dober and David Nitchmann were the first to be sent out from Herrnhut, going to preach to the slaves in St. Thomas. The missionary fervor later spread out to Africa, Russia, and America. Eventually Zinzendorf visited America where he encouraged unity among denominations, visited Indian chiefs, and even founded the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania! By the time of Zinzendorf’s death in 1760, they had sent out hundreds of missionaries, literally stretching the globe from Greenland to South Africa. Lord, would you give me the diligence and the boldness to pray and testify to the blood of the Lamb like Count Nicholas and his band of followers. |
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