Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
CITY ON A HILL
Noel urged us to take the ‘central ground’ or we would be
defeated. The drift had to stop. We refused the downward
trend, and took measures to deepen our spirituality. We held
short ‘brotherhood times’ before going to work. The Agape
meal was set apart for members only, and there we reaffirmed
our covenant, bared our hearts, and discussed weekly Bible
readings round the tables. More prayer was urged upon us
and shepherding groups were split down for closer reality.
The drive was on! Some felt secure within a stronger framework,
but, of itself, it couldn’t get to the root of the problem.
In our zeal for outward holiness we had cooled on inward
experience. ‘Lord can it be a church should die through loss
of first fraternal love?’ asked one brother in his hymn. The
answer was, ‘Yes!’ Form without power was useless.
Now that I was back at the Hall, I realised that the deeps of
brotherly love were not over-common. Away from Kelly’s wing,
I discovered Zion’s problems. She had plenty of spots and
warts. The Farm bristled with young men ‘being themselves’,
while the Hall, with its families and older characters, seemed
a little reserved and institutional. Either way, a spiritual dullness
had settled over many parts of the church.
‘Do we really want the presence of God?’ I wrote in my
journal. ‘Would it be too troublesome? We’ve got it nicely
wrapped up. We are a well-ordered community. Rushing wind
and tongues of fire? The awesomeness of God? Oh no! We’re
content to know him in a relaxed way; you know — the “still,
small voice”. And so the Bugbrooke revival becomes the Bugbrooke
“denomination” and dies in the midst of prosperity.’
We were making outward changes — but where was the
power of God? The joy and spontaneity? The miracles? The
214