Revival Part Three

Jesus Freaks

"The three men I admire most, the father, son, and the holy ghost, they caught the last train for the coast the day the music died." Don McLean's "American Pie"

Aside from her Foursquare churches, Sister Aimee Semple McPherson's influence lives in many denominations. Chuck Smith, once a student at her Angelus Temple Bible School, founded the Calvary Chapels, and played a leading role in the Jesus People revival, a movement to which I can bring some witness.

The Jesus People movement began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and spread primarily through North America and Europe, growing out of the hippie culture. Members of the movement were often called Jesus freaks and considered the label an honor.

The movement was partly a reaction against the counterculture from which it originated. Young people, disenchanted with post war complacency and consumerism, flocked to hippie doctrines and attitudes, but often discovered that drugs, sexual liberty, and freedom from tradition hadn’t led to the enlightenment they were after. So they turned to Jesus.

The movement sought to return to the practices of early Christians. As a result, Jesus people commonly viewed established churches as either lost or phony. Their theology called for a return to simple living. They believed in miracles, signs and wonders, healing, prayer, and works of the Holy Spirit.

Like the Azusa Street founders and Sister Aimee, a core belief of Jesus people was acceptance of others, regardless of their peculiarities. While most churches either remained aloof or actively opposed the movement, the few that welcomed even the strangest and most bedraggled flourished.

My friend Tony was one of the strangest, and the person who most convinced me to actively follow Jesus. You could read more about him here.

Although the Jesus People revival lasted only a few years, its influence on Christian culture has been mighty. Thousands of converts moved into leadership positions in churches and other organizations. Its songs and worship changed Christian music. Some of the fastest growing denominations of the late 20th century, such as Calvary Chapel, Hope Chapel, and the Vineyard, trace their roots to the Jesus People.

And the Jesus People can be viewed as offspring of Azusa Street and Sister Aimee.

Chuck Smith received his early training from Sister Aimee’s Church of the Foursquare Gospel, which also birthed the international Potter's House Church. His Young People started as a home Bible study led by former Foursquare Preacher Dave Compton. Many His Young People became church leaders.

A while back, I discovered  an inspiring version of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Odetta, a folksinger I have long enjoyed.  In her moving a cappella version, one verse particularly struck me. “I have read a fiery gospel/ writ in burning rows of steel,/ as you deal with my conviverous soul,/ with you my grace shall deal...”

“Conviverous,” I muttered.

I couldn’t find the word in any of my dictionaries, even the OED. But it’s not hard to translate in context. I take it to mean, as we deal graciously with all sorts of God’s people, He will accordingly deal with us.

The churches I’ve attended longest are evangelical. Their leaders often pray for revival. So I’ll suggest, whoever seeks a revival had better get more conviverous. 

In the churches I attended, you wouldn’t find anybody shooing away a person of color or a scraggly homeless fellow. But you could find the subtle persuasion toward homogeneity, the conviction that we’re all in this life together as long as we walk and think in the same straight line.

From what I know about Azusa Street, Sister Aimee, and the Jesus People, I’ll venture that God prefers us to acknowledge we’re all in this life together, period.

Having come of age as a Christian during the Jesus People movement, I'm grieving, because the churches I favored appear to have been lured to the dark side.

I will offer more on the topic next week, God willing.

For now, I'd rather go back to the hippie/Jesus freak era with this primer on those days by Jackson Browne.

Happy forever, before and after the deluge.