The reason we are in
Prague for this year is because of a man named Jan Hus. Well, we’re really here because Phillip (for the sake of clarity - see below) is a talented scholar, but we’re in
Prague because he studies Jan Hus, a 15
th century reformer who preached in
Bohemia and was executed for his beliefs. Since we arrived in September, we’ve been extremely lucky to find a church community that makes us feel at home,
Faith Community Church. We’ve become friends with many people in the community and been truly inspired by these incredible people in
Prague! Many people at church have been interested in learning more about Jan Hus and the pastor, Phil (another Phil!) asked Phillip to give a talk for the church. So over Easter weekend, Phillip gave a lecture on Friday night and led a walking tour of important religious sites in
Prague on Saturday afternoon. In short, it was extraordinarily successful.
Friday night’s talk was entitled “Burned at the Stake, Thrown Out a Window, or Beheaded: the True (and often bizarre) History of the Hussites”. Leave it to Phillip to come up with a catchy title and make 15th century history exciting;) There were about fifty people in attendance. Both friends and complete strangers in the audience came up to me after the talk to tell me what a wonderful teacher Phillip is. In particular, one woman marveled at his ability to speak to an audience containing people who barely knew who Jan Hus was and those with Divinity school degrees. On a personal note, it was special for me to be able to see Phillip engage the crowd and teach about the life and death of Jan Hus, a subject about which he is so passionate. After the talk, we went to dinner and enjoyed an evening with good friends and great beer!
On Saturday, Phillip led a crowd of thirty-five people on a walking tour of Prague. We began at Bethlehem Chapel, where Jan Hus preached from 1402-1412, walked to Old Town Square, on to the Church of Our Lady of Snows, and ended at New Town Hall. Each of these sites is significant in Prague’s religious history, and Phillip kept the crowd interested by telling stories of the crazy defenestrations (being thrown out a window), beheadings, and battles that took place in Prague’s storied history. This was not your ordinary tour of Prague…
Because of the crowds in Prague, Phillip thought it would be funny to carry a pomlázka (the Easter whip - see the Easter blog for details) so everyone would be able to follow him. This is hilarious because everyone in Prague is familiar with tour groups lead by guides with an umbrella held high in the air. The pomlázka was a big hit with the our friends’ kids, and it kept the group together. All in all, Phillip’s “Jan Hus Extravaganza” was wildly successful. I think it gave everyone the unique perspective of Prague as a city with a tumultuous religious history. He really shed light on the importance of this rich past in this complex, storied city of Prague. Everyone came away knowing a little more about the city we call home.
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