There are many amazing men and women of the Christian faith who leave us with tremendous legacies and examples. I wish I had time to study them all—to learn what they learned—the bad so as not to repeat it—the good so as to emulate and grow from it.
Too often, these lives are buried in the dust of history.
Today, let me share with you the life of one such powerful Christian—Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf.
He was born in Dresden in 1700. He believed in a religion of the heart—a personal salvation built on one’s spiritual relationship with Christ.
Nicholas was born into one of the most noble families of Europe. As a teenager, he and several other young nobles formed a secret society, The Order of Mustard Seed. Those joining the Society agreed to use their positions and influence to spread the Gospel. As an adult, Nicholas reactivated this society and many influential leaders of Europe joined the group, including the King of Denmark, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Archbishop of Paris. (source = Zinzendorf.com)
Once, when Nicholas was visiting a museum in Dusseldorf, he saw a painting entitled, “Behold the Man,” by Feti. The painting was of the crucified Christ, with the legend, “This I have done for you—Now what will you do for me?” Captivated by the painting, Nicholas had an almost mystical experience, feeling as though Christ were directing those words to his heart. There and then, he vowed to dedicate his life in the service of Christ.
Nicholas assumed his duties in the court of King August the Strong. In 1722, he was approached by a group of Moravians who requested permission to live on his lands. He was touched by their sufferings as Christian exiles from Bohemia and Moravia. He agreed, and they settled a small village they called Herrnhut, which means “the Lord’s Watch.”
Soon, the unity the small group of Moravians felt toward each other fell apart, and divisiveness marked the tone of the group. Nicholas became so concerned that he left his public life to work with the Moravians. Nicholas led them in daily Bible studies. In 1727, Nicholas and the Moravians developed a document known as the “Brotherly Agreement,” which detailed how they would behave—and they each signed a pledge to abide by these behaviors, rooted in Biblical principles.
This young count became the leading theologian of the Moravian Church. He studied theology and was ordained in the Lutheran Church to provide political protection and spiritual guidance to the Herrnhut community.
What followed has been described as the “Moravian Pentecost”—a time of intense and powerful spiritual renewal.
According to Zinzendorf.com, during a Communion service, the entire congregation felt the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit—which wiped away all of their previous differences. This experience led to the Moravian renewal, and led to the beginning of the Protestant World Mission movement.
Later, Nicholas visited St. Thomas to preach the gospel and visited America to spread unity among the German Protestants in Pennsylvania. He became very interested in evangelizing the native Americans. He was the only European noble to meet with native American leaders.
Nicholas’ “brand” of Christianity was quite unique for his time, centering on having a personal relationship with Christ and an emotional experience of salvation rather than a strictly intellectual agreement with Christian principles. He never attended seminary and was often criticized for allowing women to preach, hold office, and be ordained.
His focus was on missionary outreach and renewal. He never saw the Moravians as a separate denomination: rather, he believed their passion would serve to revitalize existing denominations and inspire mission work.
Nicholas died in 1760 in Herrnhut. He is remembered as a leader of the Protestant Reformation and the founder of the Renewed Moravian Church. His impact lives on, and that tiny town played an unusual role in the growth of Christianity –through a prayer meeting that lasted 100 years.
I will discuss this next week.
Sources: Zinzendorf.com, Moravian.org