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| The Jesus Movement |
It has been 50 years since we experienced The Jesus Movement, so here are some of my thoughts on that wonderful time from a Cincinnati area guy’s perspective.
I played guitar, sang and wrote some songs that I was able to play for others which people seemed to enjoy. This took me to some places I never expected to go. Many of my friends at the time were going to or had attended Bible Colleges. Due to circumstances I was unable to follow that path, but tried to make up by reading and studying on my own.
As stated, the Jesus Movement was Jesus moving across the United States, like a mighty wind, from the West Coast to the East Coast and then across the sea to the rest of the world. During this era we were entrenched in a terrible war. We watched the nightly news and witnessed the carnage. The death toll was much like that of today's pandemic. Young men were forcibly drafted into the military. Many did not want to go and fled to Canada, where they were branded as Draft Dodgers. Others were conscience objectors (to war) and refused to participate.
And we started with sincere hearts. But as in the parable of the sower, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. The words of Jesus mirror life. I have friends from that blessed time that love The Lord and have blossomed, but I also have friends that have gone on to reject God and His Love. Which brings me to this observation.
However there were times when I missed my friends and returned to visit them or attend an old friend's wedding. It was then I encountered these men that I had not seen for a few years. In each case I found that they had moved on from The Jesus Movement to other causes that they now embraced, putting in that very same fervor to the new crusade just like they put into the cause as leaders in The Jesus Movement. And of course they were very vocal in these new their new found schemes. As usual they had to be the center of attention. It was most eye-opening. I now avoid them and pity them.
I became involved with a church that most all of my friends at the time attended. We were young and lead by a young pastor that was steeped in his denomination’s views. One Sunday my wife had spoken up, without his permission, and invited people to come to our home for Bible study and ‘intercessory prayer’.
Another observation is that we were young and making it up as we went along. We were Free Range Christians hoping to do the right thing. We felt the need to save the world, and share our new found love and joy. As Larry Norman put it, "There's an underground church and it's following Jesus and hoping to meet people's needs. But we don't have the time to build nice little churches. We're holding our church in the street." At the time we didn't appreciate the fact that some institutions probably had their starts by experiencing what we were experiencing. We were distrustful of many of those mainstream churches.
I also recall a time also when I was told there was going to be a Christian television network that would be on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At the time, as a young believer I thought Wow that was incredible. There were at least two of these networks, and though they are still on the air, they too have put God in their own little box and are serving up their own brand of Christianity to us. In my opinion they have become pathetic.
But that is OK. For those of us who lived and participated in The Jesus Movement we enjoyed the blessing of that time by celebrating our second birth and childhood in The Spirit of The Lord. We then grew up to become adults. We were all quite young at the time. Hopefully the seed fell on good soil and blossomed and we still feel called to be Christians and trust God's Word. I have always been sad that my children did not get to experience the joys of that time.
The Jesus Movement was the Fourth Great Awakening of The Holy Spirit and to those that experienced it, it was life changing. In it's simplest form, it was God, His Son Jesus, and The Holy Spirit moving throughout the world.
D-Day in Cincinnati was March 27th of 1971 when an event called Spiritual Revolution Day occurred. Now fifty years later I can reflect on this event and the impact it had on my life.
I was only 18 years old and still in high school. I began wearing a cross, and carrying my Bible with me so I could read it in my free time. At the time I was ridiculed for being A Jesus Freak. But as a friend of mine wrote in a song, "I just want to be a Jesus Freak for the rest of my life." Although I am now approaching 70 years of age, I am still a Jesus Freak.
Back then the leaders of the movement that I encountered seemed so old, but truth be told they were probably no more than ten years older than me. I was fortunate to become involved with people that were dedicated to Bible study and building each other up through teaching, prayer, and sharing their faith. I miss those people and those sweet days.
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| Cincinnati Christian University |
Now for some thoughts on those days that I am writing in these early morning hours.
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| The Jesus Movement |
During this time a cultural movement for peace and love sprang up, although that movement eventually succumbed, because the free love came with a price, and the peace marches sometimes resulted in violence. I believe that in this time the cries from God’s people were heard which resulted in The Lord God taking pity on us and sending His Holy Spirit to show us His real peace. This was The Jesus Movement. It happened then and it will happen again. Of that I am certain.
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| Cincinnati Jesus Paper |
Of the people I encountered fifty years ago, one archetype I ran across I call "The Crusader." Thankfully I only ran into a couple people that fit this category. During those days they rose up as leaders and seemed to sink their whole being into the cause of The Jesus Movement. I followed a few of these men. And yes, I know there were women that fit this description. I met some later in life when I was wise enough to avoid them.
In my case, as my life moved forward. I married, had children, and this took precedent over the Bible study and prayer groups and those that I had befriended and even lived with in the past.
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| Spiritual Revolution Day |
A second observation is that The Jesus Movement was evangelistic and a number of groups involved felt they had the handle on salvation. It was their way or the highway. They could not buy into the concept that God might be bigger than their particular box they put him in. These folks had it all figured out. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the biggest problem with the Jesus Movement was people. In most every synagogue on Shabbis, the words to Psalm 133 are sung. Hine ma Tov u'ma-nayim, Shevet akh-im gam ya-chad, Hine mah Tov umah naʿiym sheveth aḥ-iym gam ya-ḥadh. Translated this is "Behold how good and how pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity." Our youthful minded goal at the time was for this to happen. But denominational prejudice and bone-headed leadership got in the way.
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| Spiritual Revolution Day Cincinnati |
The pastor took this as an affront to his theology. He let me know in all certain terms that my wife was being too Catholic, and I had better straighten her out or else.
Since I refused to "straighten her out", the “or else” occurred shortly after this encounter when her, myself, and my children were shunned by that church and given The Left Boot Of Fellowship. It hurt for many years.
I am sure that some of the people that went to the church were probably not aware that this ever happened. So much for brotherhood, and unity when a person's inherent perspective of what Christianity should look like butts heads with the words Jesus spoke in Matthew 22:36-40.
My take-away from this, after years of pain, is if they do not want me or my wife or my family than they do not deserve our friendship and it is their loss. Heck, I am a great guy!
In hindsight I can now also see it was a blessing because I do not want to be confined to a group that adheres to the belief in a God that is confined only to their own parameters. Through the years I have been blessed in my life to encounter many diverse people, churches, and groups that I believe came from the seed that fell on good soil.
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| Spiritual Revolution Day Cincinnati |
During this era there was also a big push for Christian books. that were valuable, and there were many fine authors that shared their knowledge. However this could not replace the wisdom of Scripture. I had a dear friend that confided in me that she read just about every Christian book that came down the pike, but seldom studied The Bible. That was sad. In 2015 the biggest chain of Christian book stores went out of business.
The same can be said for the Christian music business. There were so many great singers and songwriters that came out of that era. The trouble is that when Christian music becomes business, what is emphasized by that industry is BUSINE$$. This is not the reason most all of those folks began singing and sharing their songs. I know of several artists that got thoroughly and bitterly trounced by record companies, who controlled the rights to songs that they had written.
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| TBN and CBN and their campuses |
Another observation is that as the movement grew we were being peddled the latest new thing. For example some Christians and churches believed you had be be totally immersed to be baptized. Other churches merely sprinkled you with some water. I know of one denomination that had to immerse a new believer three times underwater before they received salvation.
My first baptism occurred on the night I accepted Jesus at a Methodist church revival. I walked out the door, then came back and asked if I could be baptized. The pastor sprinkled me with some water.. A few months later at Spiritual Revolution Day my girlfriend (now my wife) and I went to the Ohio River and were baptized. Many years later when I thought about joining a church in a new city where I was working they demanded I be baptized again since there were no records. I decided twice was enough and did not join.
At this time in my life I find this to be inconsequential. I am sad that there are churches and denomination that dwell on such points.
Another event that arose out of that era, although not new, was speaking and praying in tongues. It grew in popularity for a while and became quite controversial for those that opposed the practice due to their interpretation of scripture. It caused derision within Christianity, which is never a good thing. And that is a shame. I am of the opinion that we need to work out our own salvation and follow the path on which God leads us. Why do we dwell on the minutiae? Behold how good and how pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity.
Perhaps it was the emphasis of speaking in tongues that lead many people from The Jesus Movement to The Charismatic Movement. Although actually The Charismatic Movement actually had it's start during the Third Great Awakening and the Azuza Street Revival in 1906. I believe the new Charismatic Movement possibly signaled the end of The Jesus Movement. It is sad that this a division over speaking in tongues quite possibly fractured The Jesus Movement and our First Love. But I believe other factors were involved, including the fact that most of us just matured in our lives and in our faith.
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| Spiritual Revolution Day Cincinnati 1971 |
But that is OK. For those of us who lived and participated in The Jesus Movement we enjoyed the blessing of that time by celebrating our second birth and childhood in The Spirit of The Lord. We then grew up to become adults. We were all quite young at the time. Hopefully the seed fell on good soil and blossomed and we still feel called to be Christians and trust God's Word. I have always been sad that my children did not get to experience the joys of that time.
