I finally saw “Jesus Revolution," which chronicles the beginning of the Jesus movement in the 1960s. It was very well done, and I found myself deeply moved. It was most compelling because of the subject matter.
The seed of the charismatic movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s had a large wake. My mother had a good friend share with her the Gospel message after experiencing it through her Catholic Church. A Catholic Charismatic renewal started in 1967 in the northeast United States and continued into the 1970s. I will never forget when I was 10 my mom took me to the beach and guided my brother and me through the Gospel message. I believe it was during this time that God started to do something in my life. This outpouring of God's Spirit impacted millions. There was a desire for change within American society in the 1960s and early 1970s as ideas of spiritual renewal and communal life were circulating. The sexual revolution and pacifism transformed the broader youth culture. The search for an alternative spirituality was compelling for many. That impulse was evident among the Jesus People movement and in the hippie subculture, and it also influenced the Catholic Church.
There was a disruption in the world and a need for an expression of spirituality that met the needs at the time. Churches moved from cherished traditions to a focus on a relationship with Jesus. Homogeneous churches opened up to others of different generations and perspectives.
Some argue that there was a lack of discipleship and at times, allowance of sinful behavior. All might be true, but if the Gospel is preached faithfully, dismissing the whole movement does not seem helpful. Even Lonnie Frisbee's failures (hinted at in the film, though in reality were more grievous) were evidence that God uses flawed people. He is often referred to as a Samson-like character.
Images of the outpouring of God's Spirit on a generation seeking and coming to Christ in droves were inspiring. And God can do it again as we pray and thirst for him. God's Spirit can work in powerful, tangible, and unexpected ways. He gifts people with prophetic insight, teaching, hospitality, etc., to build his kingdom.
We will study the book of Acts next year and reflect on the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the early church. Let’s pray to see them renewed in our day.
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke (Acts 2:17-19).
Valentina Ciciliot, “The Origins of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the United States: The Experience at the University of Notre Dame and South Bend (Indiana)," In Transatlantic Charismatic Renewal, c.1950-2000, 1967–1975.
