I Lived This History

I was excited to learn that a movie was coming from my college years. Movies based on true stories are always interesting, but here was a movie I knew something about.  

Maybe you have recently seen or heard interviews with Greg Laurie or Kelsey Grammer. This movie, Jesus Revolution, shares from the late 1960s and early 70s.

Since I attended a college in Costa Mesa, CA, I was aware of Pastor Smith’s small church. Word spread that it was filling up with barefoot hippies, happily sitting on the floor and worshiping Jesus.

They outgrew that church and moved into a large tent. My brother, who followed me in college, attended some services there. It continued to fill with hippies hungry for God, and those who had found Him were sincere in their faith.

Maranatha! Music was birthed by Chuck Smith to share music from the hippie groups who were singing at Calvary Chapel. Wikipedia mentions a few of them like Love Song, Children of the Day, Mustard Seed Faith, Chuck Girard, and Karen Lafferty.

During the Jesus Movement, my husband and I were on the staff of a church in the San Diego area. Our pastor also welcomed these hippie young people. He wisely advised the congregation to accept them however they came and if they needed any correction, he would be the one to do it.

Many brought their parents and grandparents. Over our fifteen years of ministry in that church we saw the growth and faithfulness of these believers young and old.

The current Asbury Revival in Kentucky brings back memories of the Jesus Revolution. Once again young people are being drawn to God. It’s awesome to see them seriously engaged in prayer, or lifting their hands to worship as they sing.

A refrain from a song by Hillsong keeps running through my mind: You are awesome in this place, Mighty God. You are awesome in this place, Abba Father. You are worthy of all praise, to You our hands we raise. You are awesome in this place, Mighty God.