Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSAWAKE O ZION!ing to me?’ he thought. It was just three years since the JesusPeople had walked up the steps of All Saints and met him andPaddy. Now he was a leader in a Christian community. Amazing!A train thundered down the line at the bottom of the hill.John turned. It was a beautiful view. The sun had risen throughthe mists turning the canal blood-red as it glistened in thefrosty fields below. He spotted the trees that sheltered theHall in Bugbrooke. Beyond lay a hazy Northampton, the distantrumblings of the M1, and the wooded hills on the horizon.John ‘Gentle’ was a key man. (‘Gentle’ was the ‘virtue name’we gave him to distinguish him from all the other Johns). Hewas a guy you wanted to be with — natural, easy, and gentle— a good support to Dave who’d now abandoned teaching forfarmwork. Steve ‘Faithful’ and another brother had accompaniedJohn and Dave from the Hall to the newly acquiredFarm. On the sisters’ side they were joined by Irene (a Norwegian),Liz and Janie.With this nucleus, plus a friendly rat called Walter, a newera began. The Hall carried on its chaotic way as the Farmtook brotherhood deeper. There was so much enthusiasmaround. It was a mixture of fun and togetherness; of cold andprimitive living conditions; of meditation in the fields; of latenights and discussion round the lounge fire; of hard workand quickness to sacrifice.Noel frequently stayed overnight. ‘There are five new arrivalsat the farm,’ he said in chapel one Sunday morning.Everybody looked puzzled. Who could they be? They werethe first five sows! Steve had done a course on pig breeding,138