I missed the Jesus Revolution film when it was playing in theaters earlier this year. Knowing that it would soon after be released for VOD (video on demand) I waited. A couple of weeks ago I noticed it was available to rent for $6 and sale for $20. I didn't jump on it right away as I'm reluctant to rent/buy content from services I already subscribe to. When my wife Kathy and I decided to watch it, it was now $10 on AppleTV. The Jesus Revolution had been marked down! The film is based on the book of the same title co-written by California pastor Greg Laurie. The story follows teenage Laurie's encounter with hippie preacher Lonnie Frisbee, Calvary Chapel pastor Chuck Smith, and Laurie's future wife, Cathe. The context of the story is the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s in Southern California. I thought it was pretty well done and enjoyed it, though I did think the portrayal of hippies was slightly caricatured. Greg Laurie's personal story was fascinating as I have listened to several of his sermons on the radio but didn't really know about his troubled family background.
PHOTO: Angelo at the youth ministry Adam's Apple, Fort Wayne, IN, circa 1974
Our Personal Jesus Revolution It was a bit of a walk down memory lane for Kathy and me. In late 1972, I had a dramatic conversion experience in the context of the Jesus Movement in Akron, OH. Less than three months later I met Kathy while I was playing at a Christian coffee house in Edinboro, PA. One week prior, while attending a service in Pittsburgh, Kathy had responded to an "altar call" to profess her faith. Jesus was even moving in the Great Lakes region, 2,500 miles from Calvary Chapel, Cosa Mesa, CA.
Street Church, Erie, PA
Though not love at first sight, Kathy and I become fast friends and started to attend a "Jesus People" fellowship that met on Friday nights at the YWCA in our hometown of Erie, PA. We were a loosely knit, ragtag bunch of high school and college-aged kids "on fire for Jesus", eager to share our faith with our families, friends, and people on the street. When weather permitted, we often met at city parks, thus the name "Street Church". It was not unusual to carry our Bibles wherever we went, actively looking for opportunities to invite others to a personal encounter with our Jesus. Our fellowship was not limited to Friday nights as we went from one home to another for impromptu Bible studies, prayer meetings, and casual fellowship throughout the week. It was easily the strongest sense of community that I have experienced in my adult life. Sadly, our happy group of Jesus people started going off the rails in the early 1980s. But, thankfully, most of us were grounded enough in "small o" Christian orthodoxy to identify the error that was sneaking in. By the end of 1982, the congregation had disbanded. Love Remains
We are still friends with scores of former Street Churchers. Thanks to social media, we stay in touch. The nine years we were part of it were glorious and messy. Much of that time we were not only growing spiritually, but we were also simply growing up as human beings. I'm not going to say that "I wouldn't change a thing". I have regrets. But I will say that I'm eternally grateful that Kathy and I were swept up in the Jesus Revolution. Over 50 years later, we enjoy His mercy which is new every morning. And we'll gladly "share our testimony" with anyone who is willing to listen.
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