Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
ON THE MARCH
at Ashburnham when we learned to meditate on God, open
up our hearts and disciple one another.
There the vision of Zion had exploded on us. We were never
to be the same.
God’s word had inspired us and revealed the narrowness of
Christ’s path. As we sought to reach out to others with the
gospel of the kingdom, we found humiliation in the press and
suspicion from churches. At times the battle had been intense,
but we had pressed on regardless. When friends deserted,
more came to join us. Slowly we had forged a culture that
was godly, deep and precious. How could veterans forget?
Now years of campaigning had gone by and the church had
expanded. A new generation of Jesus People had arisen who
didn’t fully understand a beauty born of tears.
We had put everything into launching the Jesus Army. On
one hand there was an aggressive evangelistic endeavour, on
the other, an almost mystical heritage of community. Campaigning
had stirred Zion to pour out her life, but many of us
longed after purer brotherhood and the deeps of God.
As the sun filtered through the marquee, Noel stood up in
his Jesus Army jacket and began to speak of the ‘treasures of
Zion’. Once more the preciousness of brotherhood passed before
us — its loyalty, simplicity and sacrificial love. We sang a
new hymn that expressed this longing for Zion:
Treasures of Zion here we seek;
Wisdom of all these God-filled years,
In which were formed the wise, the meek,
Mature in warmth and love and tears.
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