Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
‘Polly, I’m sick of seeing you in jeans,’ she said. ‘Go and get
yourself a dress!’ Dresses were made from corduroy, denim
or even patchwork. With long hair and flowing dresses some
of the sisters managed to extend the hippy era for a few years!
Make-up vanished, too, as sisters applied the word from 1
Peter 3:3-4, ‘Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...
Instead, it should be... the unfading beauty of a gentle
and quiet spirit.’ We had some very enthusiastic sisters
who saw the preciousness of all this and sought it. Others
were at first reluctant, but when they let go of their natural
assertiveness, they ‘found themselves’ in a new way, and entered
into a deeper relationship with God.
Indeed, once the trauma of rediscovering our identity was
over, a new sense of security settled over the whole community.
Men took up their leadership, and husbands brought a
godly authority to their families. The sisters were beautiful
in their loving support and made way for the men to find their
strength and potential. So much sprang from sincere love for
Jesus and an innocent conscience.
Much care was put into children’s upbringing. The young
soul needed protection, training and nurture. Children should
be surrounded by holy influences, creativity, love and discipline.
The question was always there too: would the next generation
maintain our radical vision? We held to the promise,
‘Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he
will not turn from it’ (Prov 22:6).
That year saw the establishing of divine order in our relationships.
Far from being ‘under law’, this was grace bringing
together the beauties of Zion. Of course, there were conflicts
and some tendency to overbalance. But we felt we were
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