This attitude of humble resolve permeates all of their outlets, whether it be in the realm of the practical—a roofing supply house, recording studio, and custom cabinet-making shop, the realm of ministry—a women's and children's shelter, a senior citizens' home, community outreach, discipleship classes, and regular Sunday church services, or the realm of artistic and intellectual expression—Cornerstone Festival, Cornerstone Magazine, Grrrr Records, and a host of artists and musicians (such as Ballydowse, Glenn Kaiser, and Unwed Sailor). They also firmly entrench themselves in keeping up with technological and cultural advance, with constantly evolving efforts to use things like the Internet to expand their ministry and creativity.

One of the above-mentioned outlets in particular has made a strong impact on many lives, minds, and spirits, Christian or not. Cornerstone Magazine has built a reputation as one of the only consummately relevant and informed, or you can call it 'hip' if you wish, magazines done by Christians. They cover music and art with an understanding of aesthetics and integrity, politics with a mind towards a greater and more 'lovely' picture, and culture with a keen grasp of current paradigms and mindsets. The editor of Cornerstone Magazine, Jon Trott, is a veteran JPUSA citizen, and has been with the publication for over two decades. So we figured, who better to interrogate for this feature than someone who could give us insight into all realms of the JPUSA community? Who knows, maybe after reading this feature you too will feel a holy compulsion towards the community of faith.

A Discussion with Jon Trott

Fay: How long have you personally lived at JPUSA, and why did you originally decide to live there?

John: I'm part of the furniture around here, which makes me pretty ratty. I left a Christian College (Gordon) in 1977 to join this 'Jesus People commune.'

Fay: What has made you stay?

John: Community life is terrible. I don't have my own car. I don't have my own schedule (others keep invading my personal space and time). I don't have my own house, just one room my wife and I share, and two other rooms down the dorm-like hall that my two girls share, and two boys share, respectively. Yes, it is horrible. And I love it. I love the people here, complete with all their flaws and mistakes. I love watching Jesus work through us collectively and individually to make a major impact in various lives. It's like living in the midst of an ongoing miracle; how do all these dissimilar people manage to not only stay together but actually thrive?

Going further back in my own life, I was a thirteen-year-old when the Jesus movement got really big. I lived out in Montana, and when I saw one of the groups on a national television special, worshipping Jesus and spreading the Gospel, I think I fell in love. Though that group later, it turned out, was a cult (the Children of God), that didn't invalidate the reality of similar groups, one of which I met while on the west coast (still thirteen) in 1971 or '72. I got a newspaper called 'Truth' from a longhaired guy then, and wore it ragged reading it. The idea of people living together, lifting each other up in a combination of grace and accountability, doing works for the Lord that they never could have done without the help of one another, that idea still thrills me.



Fay: How have you been involved during your stay? Have you always been with the magazine, or did you have other jobs at one time?

John: I did many jobs the first year I was here. I was a full-time 'JPUSA mover' and drove a big old moving truck around the city doing jobs and witnessing to those we moved. I also worked with another JPUSA brother for an elderly Jewish gentleman who'd been through the holocaust. That was tough, because we wanted to tell him about Christ, but had to face the fact that he'd nearly been murdered by folks who thought they were about God's work in exterminating Jews. He never verbally accepted Christ, but I think our quiet talks we occasionally had with him made an impact. He died sometime in the early eighties, unfortunately.

I also did my favorite job other than writing, which was stripping woodwork for our construction and restoration company. It was really cool, watching this old, moldy paint peel off to expose this beautiful old oaken trim in various Chicago apartment buildings.

I got drafted into the mag near the end of '77 (I joined in January). I started part-time and soon was doing lengthy articles, learning more and more about both writing and good research methods as I went. It was like doing school and working at the same time, really cool. And now I'm the editor of the mag. How did that happen? I have no idea.

Fay: How much of your time is put into the magazine, and what other duties do you engage in?

John: I'm raising four children (well, two at twenty years old are basically raised already). I'm responsible, as are all the men in JPUSA, for doing what's called my 'night slots' of dishes and dining room clean-up monthly, as well as doing my 'weekend work' slots twice every two months. I sing in the JPUSA Choir. I help counsel others, and occasionally get counseled myself! I occasionally even preach a sermon, though I'm not a pastor here.

Fay: What would you say is the overall purpose and focus of JPUSA currently?

John: As it has always been. To do the will of God by expressing His love through our corporate life together; to encourage one another in our individual walks as disciples of Jesus Christ; to win souls through our witness; to serve the poor and house the homeless and feed the hungry and visit those in prison and....you know, the same call as all Christians have.

Fay: In your experience, why do people usually come to JPUSA?

John: Some come because we're supposedly 'cool' — and maybe we are, maybe we ain't, according to the spirit of the moment. Others come in the midst of personal crisis, and many of them find healing, then move on to serve the Lord elsewhere. Others come as young, vibrant believers looking for a way to serve Jesus. We also see many of them grow, and leave to take home what they've learned. And then there's folks who come and find in JPUSA a certain, odd vision of community that is precious and very hard to find. It isn't a higher call, but it is special (as in odd, weird, somewhat unique). And many of those folks stay for the long haul. I, for instance, don't envision leaving here except either via trumpet sound or heart attack.

Fay: How do you think JPUSA is seen by the outer community — such as Chicago, and even on a national or world field?

John: We have found acceptance in many high places on this earth. At the same time, we tend to experience resistance to our lifestyle and our fervent beliefs. One troubling trend has been folks who lived here and left, dissatisfied, then turned around and seemed to blame us for their continuing difficulties. This is painful for us, because while it is certainly true that we as human beings fail people often, we also feel the flip side; those who are currently angry with us also did things while here that hurt our feelings deeply. We call such things the price of community, while they tend to view them in terms of 'abuse.' For us the word 'abuse' means a specific thing: sexual abuse, physical abuse, monetary mismanagement, teaching bad doctrine. In those categories, our lives together are an open book. But we can't defend ourselves when someone says, 'You hurt my feelings.' If they felt it, all we can say is we're sorry. We just wish the equation worked both ways, but it doesn't seem to, and that's okay, too. We don't have the luxury of loving only those who love us; Jesus calls us to a higher standard."



Fay: What are your thoughts on the concept of 'commune' as it relates to Biblical philosophy and precedent? Would you compare JPUSA to the commonwealth of Israel or the early Christian Church?

John: We wouldn't compare JPUSA to Israel, as God (at least in the pre-King Saul era) directly revealed Himself to Israel and told them what to do. We do actively try, on the other hand, to pattern ourselves on the early Jerusalem church, which was set up communally and had a plurality of leadership widely spread out. Such a leadership model minimizes potential abuses and maximizes accountability. As far as the concept of 'commune' in Scripture, there is nowhere [in] the Bible [that] indicates that living as we do makes someone somehow a better, higher form of Christian. Living communally for us has provided us a way to (1) serve each other and others outside the community and (2) be challenged to live more holy lives as individuals. It also provides us with a way to experience a level of fellowship that can be a real blessing. 'God takes the solitary and puts them in families,' it says somewhere in Scripture, and God certainly seems to do that with JPUSA."

Fay: Why do you think your community has attracted so many artists?

John: We emphasize the creative and artistic as intrinsic parts of being alive and human. That comes in part from the Jesus movement's counter-cultural sixties roots, and in part from our own unique mix of humanity which includes many artists and wannabe artists."

Fay: How does the JPUSA community at large support their artists? Is there any rivalry or contention? How is the creative spirit fostered? What are the pros and cons of being an artist at JPUSA?

John: Big cons are that the artist has to listen to his/her pastors and leadership. For instance, we are a poor fellowship monetarily and can't always afford the biggest, newest instruments for our musicians. We also encourage new members to get rooted in the community's life and (in many cases) their own Christian walk before they jump full-tilt into artistic endeavors. That doesn't mean we have iron-clad rules; things are flexible. But it can be a drag for the highly self-motivated artist who wants to 'Just Do It!' and gets slowed down by fellow JPUSA members. Big pros are that we make the artistic part of Christianity, not simply a tool to get people saved or push our own agenda. Our art should come from our heart, and since the heart is where God is doing His work, we expect JPUSA artists to express the truth in love through whatever artistic outworkings they create. But that doesn't mean every song of Glenn Kaiser's or Ballydowse's is Bible quotations; art done for God's sake glorifies God. It's a pretty encouraging atmosphere for an artist. Like one pastor recently said, 'Around here, we have plenty of artists. What we need are a few more accountants!'

Fay: Has the idea of planting other JPUSA communes in other cities ever been entertained seriously? Or, are there plants or established JPUSA communities already out there that we just don’t hear about as much? Do you think spreading the lifestyle and paradigm and practice of JPUSA could be beneficial for the Church—like, do you think more Christians could benefit from adapting to a communal environment?

John: Hoo, this is a tough one. We've had a few close friends, including Tom Sine (author of the Mustard Seed Conspiracy) try to get us to 'franchise.' But we see community as something very organic, very rooted in the exact people leading that community. It would mean that we would have to weaken our present community by taking leaders from here and transplanting them elsewhere. Additionally, it is to think of starting a second or third JPUSA when we're all so busy (insanely so at times) right now, right here. We could have eighty more JPUSAs and Chicago's need would barely be dented. Some people definitely could benefit from living in a communal environment, but others would be driven crazy by it. There really are some issues of personality that go with or against our lifestyle. If you dislike lots of people praying, laughing, crying, being angry, and in short just being human, community isn't likely your cup of tea!

For more information on the Jesus People USA community, check out www.jpusa.org.

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Excerpted and reprinted with permission from Bandoppler. Bandoppler is a monthly independent online magazine, covering relevant [...and sometimes not so relevant, but just kinda fun...] underground and mainstream music, musicians, art, issues, and culture, from undogmatic, open-minded, open-hearted, sometimes satirical, Christian perspectives.

Fay Jakymec is Treble’s favorite reporter for Bandoppler.