Jesus Revolution

[timothyu]

The last great revival in the US has been made into a movie and will be out shortly

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I was saved in 1971 during the "Jesus movement." There was a very special spiritual atmosphere for 2 or 3 years. Lots of special things happened. What is surprising is that the young people swept in during that movement stayed with the Lord. These conversions were genuine and not just fad fruit. We spent a lot of time at a Christian Coffeehouse and a Jesus house. I actually met my wife of 48 years there. I would love to see that spirit reignite today among the youth. The young people of our nation are being destroyed by insane beliefs and cultic cultural movements.

 

[John Mullally]

I went to the Tent Meeting with Pastor Chuck in 1972 one night. The tent was setup in the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa church parking lot. I was a minor and a Catholic nun wearing her garb took me there. We went up front after the After Glow (which was Charismatic) and spoke to the musicians. Super friendly - I remember one of the musicians said "How are you doing sister" to the nun - and they did not ask any probing questions. I never saw that nun again - she probably got booted out.

A week or so later a brother came by to take me back to the tent meeting but my parents would not let me go.

 

[dzheremi]

I just saw an ad for this. I'm not personally interested in Boomer nostalgia movies about the hippie Jesus movement or whatever, but I'm glad that those who were there and experienced it have something they can get excited about, I guess. It's not like there's an overabundance of movies that portray Christianity in a positive way in recent decades, so I'm sure it feels nice to see one that is about something that you have fond memories of. I would not hold out any hope that this movie would ignite any kind of spiritual fervor among the increasingly unchurched youth, though. The early 1970s are not a time period that your average Millennial or Gen Z person probably feels much of a connection to, seeing as how none of them were even alive at the time. Even for older Gen Xers, it would be a stretch. (That's why I called it a Boomer nostalgia movie, just FYI. I'm not meaning to use "Boomer" as some kind of slur here, just describing who the movie and really that whole time period is most likely to appeal to. Maybe in another 10 years when they start making movies about the 1/3 or whatever of my generation, the Millennials, who actually still care about Christianity were doing while the majority of our age cohort were reading Sam Harris and getting into fights with their grandparents about LGBT stuff or whatever, I'll get to be excited about that and some Gen Z person will be there to rain on my parade. If God wills it. )

 

[FireDragon76]

The real story, the one that isn't a warm and fuzzy Lifeway moment, is of Lonnie Frisbee, a closeted gay man who felt called by God to preach, and who was used by a Pentecostal minister to boost his own ministry. He died from AIDS in the early 1990's, and people who knew him and used him still took the opportunity to say backhanded compliments about him at his funeral.

Later in his life, Lonnie got involved in the Episcopal Church and Metropolitan Community Church, and he became an artist, after the Pentecostals had abandoned him. That bit of the "Jesus People" is never mentioned in the historical retelling of the Charismatic movement. Lonnie walked away from the people that abused him.

 

[timothyu]

Riding on the coattails of the Chosen and even using its star and cinematographer, although otherwise unconnected, this whole evangelical movie thing focusing on but one branch of the Jesus movement to come out of that era and a convenient repeat recently of a original revival in Asbury in 1970, all smacks to me of some sort of positional jostling like we see before a coming election or in a commercial to revive a product, but perhaps in this case to revive the glory days of a failing mission to name itself as paramount in the ever changing history books of America. At worst it could be a latter day attempt to revive the cult movements of the time. This Calvary church booster movie is about one of many in the era and cannot claim ownership of the Jesus movement, but it might become an effective sales pitch for a new era of entrepreneurial evangelism.. even if there is infighting over the use of word vs word and spirit.

 

[iarwain]

I haven't seen this yet, but I want to. I remember the Jesus movement from the '70s very well. What this country needs desperately is revival now, and there are some positive signs. I urge everyone to pray for it, fervently.

 

[littleangelone]

i want to see this movie as well, i'm glad there are some here who did experiance revivial & the Jesus people movement, this generation needs another great awakening

 

[timothyu]

Interview with Frisbee's brother

 

[littleangelone]

sounds very inttesting

 

[timothyu]

Each to their own. In reality it is less about Frisbee (later to be shunned) coming out of the Jesus revolution which existed before this story starts, and more an advertisement for a revival within a particular denomination (which became splintered in a power struggle) promoting itself and it's leaders and seeking a comeback on the back of a hippie movement for the second time. That is the reality but at the same time, anything that publicizes Jesus, even if He is not the focus, and arouses curiosity, is a good thing.

 

[FireDragon76]

Each to their own. In reality it is less about Frisbee (later to be shunned) coming out of the Jesus revolution which existed before this story starts, and more an advertisement for a revival within a particular denomination (which became splintered in a power struggle) promoting itself and it's leaders and seeking a comeback on the back of a hippie movement for the second time. That is the reality but at the same time, anything that publicizes Jesus, even if He is not the focus, and arouses curiosity, is a good thing.

Lonnie Frisbee was saddled with some bad theology and questionable "friends" but his life story is an example of how people can find the strength to keep on living and growing through their faith, in very difficult circumstances.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

i want to see this movie as well, i'm glad there are some here who did experiance revivial & the Jesus people movement, this generation needs another great awakening

Amen. It was quite a time to live. So many young people were disillusioned by drugs, the occult, and other rebellions. This generation needs a double portion. I see no hope for this nation and this generation unless God does a great work, and He can do anything!

 

[timothyu]

It was quite a time to live. So many young people were disillusioned by drugs, the occult, and other rebellions

Yes it was. However the youth were disillusioned by the hypocrisy, their first taste of it with the lies around the Kennedy assassination that children could plainly see, then spreading out to include the Establishment in general and eventually to even reject the revival for turning establishment itself, the Establishment which still of course exists today, and no one cares a fig any longer as the system continues to abuse the world simply because the youth have forgotten how to care for each other and now are entrenched in self. No revival can change the world unless it stops acting in the ways of man building it's own little kingdoms.

It's going to be tough to get people to reject the world of man made in our own image when most can't even reject their smartphones.

 

[FireDragon76]

Yes it was. However the youth were disillusioned by the hypocrisy, their first taste of it with the lies around the Kennedy assassination that children could plainly see, then spreading out to include the Establishment in general and eventually to even reject the revival for turning establishment itself, the Establishment which still of course exists today, and no one cares a fig any longer as the system continues to abuse the world simply because the youth have forgotten how to care for each other and now are entrenched in self. No revival can change the world unless it stops acting in the ways of man building it's own little kingdoms.

It's going to be tough to get people to reject the world of man made in our own image when most can't even reject their smartphones.

The tragedy of the "Me" generation is they could not escape their Me-ness, and it has only gotten worse. Seeker-sensitive churches and modern "praise and worship" styles did not do much to change that, some were drawn even deeper into their narcissism.

 

[FireDragon76]

I just saw an ad for this. I'm not personally interested in Boomer nostalgia movies about the hippie Jesus movement or whatever, but I'm glad that those who were there and experienced it have something they can get excited about, I guess. It's not like there's an overabundance of movies that portray Christianity in a positive way in recent decades, so I'm sure it feels nice to see one that is about something that you have fond memories of. I would not hold out any hope that this movie would ignite any kind of spiritual fervor among the increasingly unchurched youth, though. The early 1970s are not a time period that your average Millennial or Gen Z person probably feels much of a connection to, seeing as how none of them were even alive at the time. Even for older Gen Xers, it would be a stretch. (That's why I called it a Boomer nostalgia movie, just FYI. I'm not meaning to use "Boomer" as some kind of slur here, just describing who the movie and really that whole time period is most likely to appeal to. Maybe in another 10 years when they start making movies about the 1/3 or whatever of my generation, the Millennials, who actually still care about Christianity were doing while the majority of our age cohort were reading Sam Harris and getting into fights with their grandparents about LGBT stuff or whatever, I'll get to be excited about that and some Gen Z person will be there to rain on my parade. If God wills it. )

You know, rereading this reminded me of the most obvious flaw in most Evangelical movies, you really hit on something I have noticed. The self-importance and self-absorbtion, combined with typically sophomoric attitudes about the world.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

My wife and myself saw the movie last week, and enjoyed it very much. Greg's Baptism scene
was awesome!


Here's Pastor Greg Laurie, giving the facts that inspired the moving, including his explanation
of what happened to Launie.

 

[littleangelone]

wowwwwwww some amazeing testmonies of salvation

 

[WolfGate]

I saw the movie this week on a business trip. I really did enjoy it and I do recommend people see it. It was way better made than almost any of the Christian focused movies, partly because of the actors they brought in have solid backgrounds and partly because the writing wasn't as inane as what most of the low budget movies can pay for. I'm glad I saw it. I think they accomplished their purpose - which was to make a quality movie that presented a feel-good story to their targeted Christian audience. My next comments need to be taken with the understanding that I did have a good time.

I also wish they had chosen a different purpose. First, this movie is not really about Lonnie Frisbee or Chuck Smith despite them getting so much attention in discussion. It is about Greg Laurie - which makes sense given Greg wrote the book used to adapt the movie. Second, the makers chose to create a feel-good story and decided against making a movie that would challenge Christians, particularly evangelicals like at Laurie's church, to examine if they are holding back the spread of the gospel and even revival by being like the older congregants were when the hippies first showed up at Calvary Chapel. In this time of polarization, both in church and society, Christians on both sides of the political and culture wars are effectively sending the message to outsiders that you have to believe the gospel plus these other societal non-essentials to really be welcome as a Christian in their church. (Or best case, you're welcome to come but you better change your mind to our side to really be accepted). It is a heresy that the church is battling which is parallel to what happened in the movie in Chuck's church, but the movie chose to let that comparison slide.

My biggest criticism is that objections of the older congregants were so simple and superficial that anyone watching would see them as irrelevant and insignificant. Not wearing shoes, not singing hymns, not wearing suits. The movie didn't cover any of the nuances of the time that caused discomfort among traditional churches. As the movie portrayed it, the only difference between the hippies and the traditionalists were appearances and preferences and things in the past of the hippies (which seemed to all be gone the second they accepted Christ, but that was never really discussed). Really, beyond the superficial, they were exactly the same. Jesus Revolution left out any talk of different opinions on society or war or sexuality or drug/alcohol use, or economics or politics that were huge chasms back in that day (just like they are today). There really was no significant difference in the movie between the hippies and the traditionalists presented at all.

So rather than presenting to Christians that perhaps we are going through a similar minimizing the unity in the gospel and focusing on a chasm of opinions in other areas which is hurting the ability to present the gospel to people who believe differently from us, Jesus Revolution let the audience off the hook. Nobody watching would ever see themselves in those older congregants today. That is a shame, because the situations today and in the Jesus Movement times are way closer than what the audience is asked to believe. I shouldn't be surprised and honestly, I wasn't surprised. Greg Laurie has said enough over the past few years to see that he is falling into the culture wars as have some other high profile church leaders - so why would I expect him to be learning from his own history at this point? And, since he wrote the book I guess it's natural he wants to look good in it, right?

So if you are interested, see the movie. I'll go back with my wife soon. I wanted to go because I attend a Vineyard church, which was a denomination Lonnie Frisbee was involved heavily in growing with John Wimber, after leaving Calvary Chapel. My recommendation is when you do, see through the simplicity and allow yourself to decide if there really could have been a message in there that applies to you and not just a nice, happy story (as good and fun as it is).

 

[timothyu]

Political then, political now and in both cases seeking revival of a failing entrepreneurial endeavour/business One generation needing the next in order to survive.