Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
Living at the Farm had made an impact on Noel. He admired
the reality of the relationships among the brothers and realised
his own reserve. What did being ‘members one of another’
(Rom 12:5, RSV) really mean? Were we of one heart?
As Noel spoke on the ‘beauties of Zion’s maturities’, he
became more pointed. The previous Ashburnham retreat had
been visionary, and now the truth had to be applied in every
area. If we were to ‘love one another deeply, from the heart’
(1 Pet 1:22), we had to lose our pretensions. We needed a
deeper experience of the cross to produce a character that
was not only strong and stable, but able also to flow in brotherhood.
The theme song for Ashburnham ’76 was Pete’s: ‘Now we
are the body of Christ... If one member suffers, all suffer together,
if one member is honoured, all rejoice’ (from 1 Cor
12:26). When the second week arrived, John ‘Gentle’ and Steve
‘Faithful’ had to go back to the Farm, and as we gathered
round their minibus we sang this song. Many broke down in
tears.
Amidst all our attempts to perfect one another, the theme
of the one heart emerged as the Lord’s word to us. God gave
two sisters some wisdom which was read out in the meetings.
The first picture was of a maypole. The maypole was
the Lord; the dancers members of his body. Each was joined
to him by a coloured thread which spoke of an individual walk
with God. The dance began and the threads were woven together.
As hearts were entwined, all got closer to the Lord.
The second picture was an aerial view of a transparent people.
Their hearts were small and their eyes lifeless. But as
they worshipped they came alive, and upon their hearts ap-
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