Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSAWAKE O ZION!Noel wound up his business partnership and transferredthe proceeds to the community. We leased a shop in Northamptonand divided it into a jeans shop and a health foodstore. Together with the farm, these formed House Of GoodnessLtd., our first community business. Noel acted as farmmanager, and was often seen in his battered cloth cap walkingbehind the tractor or overseeing the birth of piglets.Lunch round the farm kitchen table was memorable. Steve‘Faithful’ slouched between Noel and Kelly, who’d come freshfrom the building team and now expounded deep insights inscruffy jeans. The pigman and cattleman grunted wisely whilstJohn ‘Gentle’ pondered the state of the brothers and Steve‘Stalwart’, the farm mechanic, quietly tucked into his soup.What a heavenly bunch! Conversation ranged from potatoesto personal hygiene — from holiness to the moods of Wilburthe boar! Meanwhile, the weather-beaten Dave would be lookingafter visitors in the dining-room.During the evening grace times Noel would sit back andenjoy the ministry of his brothers and sisters. It felt good tobe part of such a family and he sought to hear the wisdom ofGod through them.Community life required mutual submission. The lie was thatindependence brought fulfilment. It didn’t. Communitybrought fulfilment. But, boy! Some of us struggled! Rufus wentthrough it! He had a big ego and was used to his own scene.Now he was one of four leaders and learning to work withthem.We saw submission taught in the Scriptures: ‘Submit to oneanother out of reverence for Christ’ (Eph 5:21). As we learned140