Homestead Heritage: From Jesus Movement to ‘Little House on the Praire’?
Trina and I spent our Saturday down in Waco, TX with Kent and Karen Smith meeting up with Homestead Heritage, a community of about 30 years that has sustained an alternate way of living to the larger American culture. They have about 900 people in their community that participate in the simple life of raising animals, barns, crops, and their own children. In fact, everything at Homestead was focused on growth.
Their story: they started out as a couple of guys as converts to Christ (one of them with Anabaptist background) through the Jesus Movement that swept through the nation in the 70’s. They moved up to New York City and began an inner city ministry of sorts. Over time they felt the need to create a residential community that gave people in the oppressive urban centers a place to identify with God through nature, working with their hands, and shared projects. They moved first to Colorado, and then to Waco, where they have been for the last two decades.
We met with Howard and Jim, two of the 22 ministers for this group. Throughout our conversation, I kept being surprised by the modern day conveniences like cell phones, lights, central air…the works. While we WERE in the main visitors center (where 40,000 visit every year), I had admit - they weren’t Amish, or Mennonite…they were something new.
They talked to us about their journey, and about the TRUE struggle of being “in the world, but not of it”. They mentioned the many visitors who see their strange, “antiquated” way of life lived, not just a historic village reenactment. They regularly go into Waco, and have a urban ministry outreach there. Through their contacts in the city, they work diligently to extract those imprisoned to the culture and show them a new way of life.
They have a “School for Essential Education” that many in the Waco community respects. Apparently, back in 1999, Waco officials announced that if anything devastating happened in Y2K that Homestead Heritage would be the ones to teach people how to grow their own food, etc.
Makes me think some of the 411 Project - 1 Thess 4:11 - “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, working with your hands just as we have told you so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…”
Isn’t that what the Christian culture is missing? ANYTHING that is respectable to outsiders? There is nothing tangibly different in the world of Christianity from the world’s culture. The stats are the same. There is nothing to respect there. But what about a whole culture that allows people a chance to find grace and time to grow? What about an extended family that has opportunities for you to work with your hands; to feel the accomplishment of a job well done?
To answer Leanne’s question here, I think that Homestead Heritage is trying to be VERY different, and yet be VERY much on display before the world. While, I think there are downsides to extracting someone from their circle of friends (possibly a new convert’s best audience to display the Gospel before), I have to admit that when I participate again in Christian communal living, I hope that it would be situated in a context where people could visibly see a radically different culture being lived out.
———
To do a little brainstorming here: What if there were a community like this just outside of Chicago? Or better yet, a network of communities of about 30 or so each that focused on family, God’s family, with deep appreciation for work, rest, and sustainability? Many of these families had committed on living “out on the homestead” while other preferred to live as missionaries in the urban center. These missionary families look for those desperate for Jesus and to kick their addiction to the world’s poisonous culture. Missionaries discerned whether or not to send them to this Homestead as a “retreat center” where they could find some perspective. Upon returning to the city (or staying in the community on the farm), these new believers could grow in their own giftings and learn new skills for life living; centered on Christ and sharing Him with others!
Last 5 posts by Mark
- Chicago Spiritual Map: Rogers Park - August 8th, 2008
- Google is Searching for Jesus - August 7th, 2008
July 17th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
WOW!! Sounds cool. Sounds inviting. I love it when people don’t play church like “normal” folk. I wonder what lessons SEVENS could learn from these folks?
July 18th, 2007 at 7:36 am
I’m processing.
July 18th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
okay, gut reaction? this scares me. it scares me because I don’t trust easily and it scares me because I yearn to abandon all worldly sense and succumb to ……………not sure yet.
*goes back to processing*
I think I’m much more comfortable doing the intentional community network thing than what the folks in the picture above are doing.
not saying one is better, just that I’m really not a joiner. I’ll collaborate like no one’s business but not being in on the beginning/creation of something just ……………..
yeah.
July 19th, 2007 at 8:27 am
Leanne.
First - thanks for your totally REAL thoughts. I’ll be honest - there are a lot of things like this that scare me too! In fact - it’s almost like I’ve got something at the core of who I am that causes me to fear community; ESPECIALLY community that actually asks me to participate and contribute. Being that vulnerable is not natural for humanity - well, not since the Fall anyway.
Distrust is what the Fall was all about it seems. We distrust God, then we distrust each other - and before you know it, we’re killing each other in cold blood. “Will the CYCLE be unbroken?”
Fear of community and trust with God is one thing, since we know he will never forsake us - but it gets messy when we add our bros and sis’s in the mix. Cuz we never know the ulterior motives behind WHY they want my companionship. Just to know God and them more deeply? Or do they want me to drink kool-aid and ride off on some alien-asteroid?
I personally think that after 30 years of doing this, if it was unhealthy, I would have seen some pretty seriously bad fruit coming from (not just their gardens, but) their lives. What surprised me most was when I started talking to some of the younger children. To hear their heart-felt passion for their way of life, following Christ, having fun, working and resting…it made me convinced.
That being said. I did not see much past their shops and “public spaces”. I plan to return there sometime soon and actually stay for a weekend, meeting families, seeing where they live/how they work/treat each other. Then I might come back with a different story. But I would hope that is where their real life is lived - in their homes.
Please, keep your thoughts coming - as you can tell from this long response, I’m still sorting my thoughts on this as well. I really appreciate your candor.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:53 am
What freedoms and truths are you willing to give up in order to live the life style you saw at Homestead heritage?
Are you ready to accept one mans interpretation of the Bible with out allowing doubts to enter your mind? Are you ready for the leading men to be “Jesus Christ come in the flesh” to be your lord and savior? Are you willing to rest your salvation in your complete submission to these men, body, soul, and mind?
Blair Adams, their Apostle, said in order for there to be peace, only one view must prevail, and that is the view of the founder.
In my opinion, if being a lemming is your idea of freedom, (which is freedom from making decisions for yourself,) and forsaking the “Christ in you,” for men who claim to be him, then Homestead is the place for you.
Learn more at: http://www.factnet.org/discus/messages/3/8171.html?1191936097
October 10th, 2007 at 11:21 am
i’m sure that the danger of following “leading men” happens in any community - and in fact, no decision you make can be done outside of the influences others have upon you. at the same time, we can’t truly find community if we are not willing to contribute leadership AND submit to EACH OTHER. There are more than just patriarchal family structures - some are sibling-oriented. Can the Spirit speak through a community, and not just one person? I see it happen all the time.
I don’t know much about Homestead other than the one day I spent there, but I look forward to more chances to learning more.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I have a cousin that has just moved into this commune with her family. They are all grown. I had not met this cousin but a couple of times when I was younger and it was amazing to hear the stories of their “fellowship”. When they left MA at the beginning of March, they came to stay with me in TN and I must admit, I was a little hungry for what they have. They are very praise oriented people and their fruit is just spectacular. I had been worried for them at first, but realized that they really are reaching the “world”. If this were some kind of Cult, then they wouldn’t be living outside of the homestead. They moved closer to be near their brothers and sisters in Christ that share the love of Jesus. It is amazing to me how when I was around them, I sensed the Holy Spirit working. I am so thankful that they are there. I have a yearning to be there as well some day when the time is right. I must say that right now I am stuck in the “world” so to speak. I have allowed my life to get so busy. I can only imagine what it must be like to be able to “rest” while yet working.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Staci -
I think your comment displays the stages that most of us go through in our perspective on “these groups.” From skepticism to fear to hope to desire. When we see the good that can come from such groups, if we are humble, we can realize our own need for healthy interdependent community.
“rest while yet working” - i like that a lot.