Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSNEW GENERATIONtional and lukewarm. The mellow approach we had adoptedfor the 90s was now sharpened up and ‘smoking guns’ wereagain in evidence. As long as Noel was around sinners woulddefinitely not be ‘at ease in Zion’.Reality had to be faced. When, at Vineyard, Cyril suggestedrepairing the crumbling path up to the brothers cottage, Mike‘Rockfast’ sighed: ‘The real need, bro, is for brothers to walkon it!’ In his annual review Mike shared his longings to seecommunity houses fully revitalised:What we have become in terms of counterculture fits exactlywith Jesus Revolution and God’s work of preparation in the nation.I believe that new creation community is the answer to thelongings of many a seeking heart. But I am not so sure that theversion of it practised in many of our houses is as attractive aswe fondly imagine.He likened our national movement to a bush fire: burningat the edges but smouldering at the centre. The map showedoutlying areas as generally healthy and motivated but with acentral base that was sluggish. The Farm was an exceptionbut their scene majored on young singles.Cornhill Manor was full and attracting new people. But establishedfamilies were moving out. Did community, JesusArmy style, work in the real world of families, with so manychildren around? Some said a hearty yes but others struggled.For some it might be better to live in smaller houseswith less pressure and yet remain in a common purse. Wewanted to provide this as a positive option without the sensethat they had ‘failed’.389