Soldier girls - Jesus Army Life

Yesterday morning the male leaders at White Stone met to discuss household issues. There were some serious matters on the agenda as loved brethren were going through a tough time. Many of us were stressed and tired and feelings were running high.

Imagine the surprise when we walked into the 'Quiet room' to find a room filled with colour, balloons hanging from the ceiling with messages of encouragement and scripture reminding us to trust in the Lord. A sister leader and her disciples had been busy the night before creating gifts of love for us.

We held the meeting in a relaxed if not slightly surreal atmosphere.

It reminded me how great the women in our household are. When the battle is on they are willing to be there right beside their brothers, encouraging them to stand in the fight, communicating by their own grace a trust in God and the Church to do the right thing. It was humbling and precious.

Jesus Army Life - Syncopated Rhythms

Living in community it's quite important to be deliberate in showing love to your friends from time to time. The temptation can be to just live out the rhythm of community life, rather than live spontaneously for people.

Rhythms in life are healthy but without something to draw attention to their beauty you are unlikely to realise how good they feel. So in community we live out a pattern of love for one another, but we've got to keep finding ways to highlight the love we feel.

Little gifts or notes can be good, as can long conversations with a friend, sometimes it's just about helping someone with their regular chores... Whatever it is, it's got to keep happening or the constant rhythm is in danger of becoming mundane. And people in danger of forgetting that they really are loved.

Photo by of Mrs.Maze flickr.com

Jesus Army Life - London Day

Once a year our whole church heads down to the streets of London for a Jesus party. With carnivalesque atmosphere we march from the top of Oxford Street down to Trafalgar Square. There's colour, there's dancing, there's music and drama. We always meet lots of people and we always have a good time proclaiming our faith in one of the world's most important capitals.