Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
The bands majored on openness; second, came ‘liberated
worship’. We lost a lot of prayer-group piety as we leapt
around, shouted and sang, danced, played guitars, and shook
tambourines and maracas. Thirdly, the disciplers taught from
their experience — but no soap boxes were allowed!
Correction was a fourth element. Most of us were keen to
have our faults pointed out, and we would assess one another’s
strengths and weaknesses. This was very constructive
but revealed some self-righteousness and self-justification.
With a skilful leader, a punch-up could be avoided!
The fifth area was meditation and prayer. We would go off
alone to ponder on Scripture or pray and then regather to
share what the Lord had shown us.
Then there were ‘discipline activities’. (St Francis, too, practised
‘holy obedience’.) The discipler gave the band ‘disciplines’.
‘Faith confessions’ were a favourite and Yvonne had
to sing hers every hour! (I’m free! I’m free!’ she squeaked in
the middle of Noel’s teaching.) Leaders received their own
medicine, too. Liz had to spend time with the sister she found
most difficult. It all produced rapid growth.
The last point was ministry activity. In a group of five friends
it was easier to launch out in spiritual gifts. We learned to
speak in tongues, interpret, prophesy, or sing out spontaneous
‘psalms’. We prayed for healing, wrote songs or brought
out wisdom.
The bands were to meet once a week. Once the leaders had
lost their nervousness and delusions of grandeur, the bands
became very precious to us. Most members didn’t live in community
houses and disciple bands brought something of the
reality we knew at the Hall and the Farm.
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