Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSAWAKE O ZION!Cyril, the architect, was trying to direct the exploits of thebuilding team. They were young and zealous and did everythingwith abandon. At times he was desperately worried.One day he was discussing the new heating system with JohnThom. Cyril asked him where he’d learned his plumbing. ‘Inever learned it, bro!’ said John. ‘I just got a book out of thelibrary.’ Amazingly, it worked!People kept coming. Car loads of students visited from Oxford,among them Piers, my old friend from the Zoology Department,now doing a PhD in dung beetles, and Mike Farrant,Ian’s old ‘prayer partner’. Talk of Bugbrooke buzzedaround the Oxford colleges, especially after one girl prophesiedin a prayer meeting! Some of the Christian Unionthought we were great. But not all the executive were so keenwhen students disappeared off to Bugbrooke for the weekend.Another set of visitors was a group of girls from Wimbledon.Liz and Janie had already lived in a community in Coventry,founded by the Redeemer church. Now Liz, a secretary,and Janie, a teacher, had gathered six other girls with themand were working out the principles of discipleship and community.They were attracted by the fellowship and within sixmonths had moved up into extended families.One family came from Aylesbury. ‘Here, read this, Mum,’said Maurice, one Saturday evening, tossing a copy of NineO’Clock In The Morning on to the table, ‘I’m off to Bugbrooke.’Mum read it and was enthralled. ‘Lord,’ she prayed, ‘We’vebeen seeking this for years!’ The following week Marion andLionel, her husband, drove to chapel with their two sons. Allof them were baptised in the Spirit that night.120