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Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

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FIRE IN OUR HEARTS<br />

AWAKE O ZION!<br />

Maurice’s brother, Steve, was a bit of a lad with red hair<br />

and a cheeky gr<strong>in</strong>. When the family were baptised, they received<br />

many words of wisdom and enc<strong>our</strong>agement, apart from<br />

Steve. All he got from the Lord was a picture of a brown parcel<br />

<strong>in</strong>side which was a golden crown. Only later did we understand.<br />

Steve was enthusiastic and motored up on his bike<br />

through all weathers to the Hall. It wasn’t long before he<br />

moved <strong>in</strong>.<br />

There were now about thirty of us squeezed <strong>in</strong>to ‘New Creation<br />

Hall’, and many others at the Welcome homes <strong>in</strong> Northampton,<br />

<strong>in</strong> extended families, or at Verna’s and Kelly’s cottages<br />

at Great Lane (now with shared c<strong>our</strong>tyard and duckpond).<br />

We called the community aspect of the fellowship the New<br />

Creation Christian Community. New creation was the theme<br />

and a dist<strong>in</strong>ctive ‘k<strong>in</strong>gdom culture’ began to take shape.<br />

We took a newspaper, but there was no place for television<br />

or radio <strong>in</strong> <strong>our</strong> community houses. We didn’t go out for <strong>our</strong><br />

enterta<strong>in</strong>ment either. There was enough at home! Some of us<br />

became more creative, learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>struments, and writ<strong>in</strong>g poems<br />

or j<strong>our</strong>nals. Pete enjoyed pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, wrote songs, and was<br />

occasionally seen up a tree practis<strong>in</strong>g the viol<strong>in</strong>. We couldn’t<br />

stand the noise of it <strong>in</strong> the house!<br />

We began to share more of <strong>our</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs. Guitars, tape recorders,<br />

and even cars were pooled. God was tell<strong>in</strong>g us to<br />

live more simply. Giv<strong>in</strong>g away y<strong>our</strong> best shirt could be quite<br />

sacrificial and deepened friendships. Sometimes we had ‘hon<strong>our</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

days’, when some unsuspect<strong>in</strong>g brother or sister would<br />

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