Memories…of the Way We Were
Our beloved Nana lived to be almost 102 years old. It was such a blessing to care for her in the final years of her life. I remember her saying that the older you are, the more you think of the past. Now that I’m a senior citizen, I’m discovering that’s true. In particular I find my mind drifting back to the first years of my salvation.
I was 18 years old when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. It was in the early 1970s, during the Jesus People movement, a revival that swept through the youth of America. It began on the West Coast and travelled across the country to the East Coast. TIME magazine called it “The Jesus Revolution,” though I never heard anyone actually use that phrase. We were just Jesus people, kids who loved Jesus. Some called us Jesus freaks, but for us that wasn’t a derogatory term. I was happy to be identified with Him.
The ministry I got saved in, which I participated in for 14 years, wasn’t technically a church. It started out as a Christian coffeehouse, a place where people (primarily teens and twenty-somethings) gathered to have Bible studies and praise meetings. It was a small, one-room building on the outskirts of the city. There were only a few chairs (reserved for the “older” people). Most of us stood, or sat crosslegged on the floor. There was a small stage at the front where the musicians played.
There were no projectors at the time, and no hymnals. We sang simple songs, choruses or scriptures set to music. They were repetitious and easy to learn, and we would sing along with the piano, drums, and guitars (no organ). The worship was both reverential and robust. The music was infectious, and nobody just sat and listened. Praising the Lord was a participation event! Sometimes, in fact, the worship would last longer than the message.
Songs of the Spirit
Songs of the SpiritOne of the choruses popular at the time was “Alleluia.” That was it, just the word “Alleluia” sung four times to a slow, lilting tune. The chorus was sometimes lengthened with “Love you, Jesus” and “Jesus Is Lord.” These would be repeated over and over and over. It was a deeply emotional experience.
There was another chorus, a cry of commitment, which little by little resonated more and more in my spirit:
I’ll say yes, yes, yes
I’ll say yes, yes, yes
I’ll say yes, Lord,
I’ll say yes, Lord,
I’ll say yes, yes, yes.
We also sang a song from a new musical, “Godspell,” which had just come out. We wouldn’t sing the entire song, just the chorus:
Day by day, day by day,
Oh, dear Lord, three things I pray:
To see Thee more clearly,
Love Thee more dearly,
Follow Thee more nearly day by day.
As we sang, those words created a deep yearning and became the prayer of my young heart. I wanted nothing more than to follow Jesus.
The Psalms were a fitting source for many of the choruses we sang. We often sang the words of Psalm 51:10-12:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, O Lord,
And take not thy Holy Spirit from me;
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me.
The New Testament was also source material for choruses, such as Matthew 7:7:
Ask and it shall be given unto you,
Seek and you shall find,
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you,
Allelu, Alleluia.
These simple songs were teaching us a basic theology before we even knew what the word meant, in the same way that the medieval church used stained glass windows to teach Bible stories to the illiterate. The same songs would be sung in large and small gatherings around the country. It strengthened the feeling that we were one big family, the family of God. I knew wherever I went, I could find other believers who would welcome me with a warm hug. There would always be a place to belong.
Sing A New Song
Sing A New SongNowadays we have a wealth of contemporary Christian praise and worship songs, with lyrics projected in colorful slides and animated videos. I am grateful for all the wonderful Christian artists who are writing songs in a wide variety of musical styles.
But there are times when my mind drifts back to simpler times, and simple songs, sung crosslegged on the floor with the lights dimmed and hands raised in worship.
There’s excitement in the air, as many believe our country is on the verge of another great revival. We see young hearts being stirred again, an increased interest in the Bible. Many are no longer content with church membership; they want something more, something personal, something intimate. The Holy Spirit is on the move.
When this next revival comes, I know it will not be identical to the Jesus People movement I got saved in. It will have its own identity, its own manifestations– and its own music. They may be simple songs, or more complex. But they will stir within a deep love for Jesus, and I am looking forward to hearing– and singing– them.
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