Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSAWAKE O ZION!sitting with each other in some of the meetings. It didn’t soundtoo romantic.We had kept a degree of segregation since first establishingmixed community at the Farm and Sheepfold. Men sharedtheir feelings mostly with men, and women with women. Thatencouraged depth and avoided the subtle dangers of flirtation.We mixed together in company but avoided being leftalone together. Romantic inclinations stirred under the surface,of course, but we were open about these with our friendsand were determined to tackle our feelings in a mature way.Community could so easily be littered with gone-wrong relationships.So over the years we gradually developed our community‘relating procedure’. When a brother wanted to approach asister, her pastor would find out if anyone else was interestedand she could choose which brother to get to know first. Thisall helped to remove the pressure to flirt.In Ralph’s case, he was keen on Clare and felt marriagewas his calling. So he spoke to Kelly, who asked her for herthoughts on the matter. She was unsure and Kelly suggestedthat she and Ralph spend some time together. As it happened,they both felt that their marriage would be of God and wouldenhance their ministry within the church.At one time Clare had considered remaining single for God.We were becoming very positive towards the single state andwere well aware of Paul’s advice: ‘Are you unmarried? Do notlook for a wife’ (1 Cor 7:27). We saw that the teaching ofJesus in Matthew 19:11-12 also indicated a gifting either formarriage or celibacy. ‘Not everyone can accept this word,but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eu-177