“The Jesus Revolution” comes to convo
Week three of Liberty University’s Convocation was all about growing in Christ by attending church and using your vocation to honor him — even if your calling is filmmaking.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Mark Dever, the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., opened by laying out his main points of the day, one being why joining a church — more specifically a good church — is vital to spiritual health.
“We follow Jesus personally, but not alone,” Dever said, emphasizing how important it is to join a local body of believers.
Dever asked the audience to find verses from the Bible to reference why Christians must attend church. Liberty students, eager to offer scriptures, shouted out answers from all over the Vines Center. Dever led the audience to the consensus that God calls Christians to gather together, worship in assembly and encourage one another.
Dever encouraged students to join a good church by ensuring that the church they attend preaches God’s word well, maintains proper execution of ordinances and cares deeply about every member.
Convocation on Friday, Feb. 3 brought in three people to talk about the upcoming Lionsgate film “Jesus Revolution.” Pastor Jonathan Falwell interviewed director Jon Erwin, producer Kevin Downes and actor Jonathan Roumie, who plays Lonnie Frisbee in the movie.
“Jesus Revolution” is a film set in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It follows the story of Pastor Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee as they spearhead a movement that leads hippies to Christ.
Erwin began by displaying an old copy of TIME Magazine with artwork of Jesus on the front page, which covered the events of the revolution and inspired the film. Erwin explained that the revolution was how God swept the country at a time of division and that the message is still relevant today.
“Our calling is to make true stories that showcase the power of the gospel,” Downes said. “We believe that God is totally in control of the stories that we tell.”
Pastor Falwell asked Roumie what the journey of his career has been like through the TV show “The Chosen,” where Roumie portrays Jesus Christ. Roumie now portrays Frisbee in “Jesus Revolution.”
“This has been God’s commissioning on my own life to serve him using the gifts and talents that he’s given me,” Roumie said. “To change the culture by impacting the culture has now become part of my holistic mission as a human being on this planet.”
As Convocation came to a close, Pastor Falwell asked Roumie to say something to the crowd with the accent he uses for Jesus on “The Chosen.”
“God loves you,” Roumie said, donning the accent, “and he has imbued each and every one of you with a gift and a talent. … He needs you to use that gift to make an impact on this world today, and by doing that, he will take your lives in directions you would never have imagined. I am living proof of this.”
Caylie Allen, a junior at Liberty and a writing major interested in film, was enthralled by Friday’s convocation.
“It was so cool to hear from men who are fearlessly invading the film industry with the love of Jesus,” Allen said.
“Jesus Revolution” will be released in theaters nationwide Feb. 22.
Johnson is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter