Natasha_P
From unknown
I stumbled across an amazing event in Trafalgar Square yesterday afternoon. Hundreds of Jesus Army church members from all over England were praising God, alongside many tourists and passers-by. The annual festival ran from 2pm to 5pm, with the focus being a main stage with a worship band and a succession of speakers giving bite-size talks. God's message was also conveyed via drama, mime and art.
It was amazing when the band started singing 'Our God' (Chris Tomlin). I love this song to bits (and I'm delighted that it is regularly on the HTB set list at the moment). I joined in with many others singing my heart out in the heart of London! What an awesome way to spend a lovely summer afternoon! Later the band played 'Everlasting God (Strength will rise)' and the festival concluded with that Hillsong classic 'One Way'.
Jesus Army also sang some of its own songs. Ministry areas were also sited either side of the stage, for those wanting to be prayed for or just to speak to someone. Jesus Army members (in their colour-coded T-shirts, identifying which English region they were from) ranged in age from 1 to 81. They constantly moved around Trafalgar Square handing out crosses, booklets and newspapers - and gently evangelising. They are a multi-cultural church with members in England from many parts of the world. Their passion is for social transformation, reaching out to all those marginalised: the homeless; the abused; the addicted; the unemployed; the lonely, etc
I'd never heard of the Jesus Army until yesterday. I was privileged to be prayed over by a member from Northampton and to be invited to visit their London or Northampton churches. No doubt God touched the lives of many people through yesterday's event - I'm so grateful I happened to be passing by.
Were you there yesterday? Have you heard/joined in with familiar worship songs in unusual places? Have you encountered The Modern Jesus Army?
All I can add is that I've got my own clothes and underwear!!
Thanks for your post John. Great you have your own personal clothes and underwear ! that wasn't the experience of the young lady I knew who was a part of the organisation about 15 years ago! Has there been much change with how the organisation is run in the last 15 yrs or so or was her experience particularly unique?
It is true that we have loosened up vastly since, say, 20 years ago. Regardless, I've been part of the church for a very long time and lived in community since 1974, and we've never shared underwear!! So either her experience was unusual, or it is exaggerated for one reason or another, as can happen.
I can't believe that Westminster City Council would have hired out Trafalgar Square to a brain-washing, controlling, dangerous cult. So surely the Jesus Army is not considered to be a cult, but a church. There are many groups of religious men and women who live in community with vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, a strict daily timetable, no TV and radio and a healthy diet. These are communities of nuns and monks. No one accuses them of being cults - and technically monks and nuns don't own their own clothes, including underwear (but the community allows them to have permanent loan of garments).
According to the Australian press, Hillsong Church is more like a cult than the Jesus Army. Hillsong preaches the prosperity Gospel, "if God loves you he will make you rich and you should give your money to the Church". Its leaders live a lavish lifestyle in Sydney, according to the Australian media. I think London Hillsong is not so controversial, as it does joint events with HTB and Jesus House. Also HTB's vicar Nicky Gumbel is speaking at Hillsong's Conference in Sydney around this time.
I am strongly attracted to living in a community where women are obedient and subservient to men, as the Bible teaches us to be - and where both genders have different roles and wear traditional clothes. Jesus Army feels too full on for me at the moment. I'm also exploring convent communities, where I would be able to live a prayerful, simple life, without the distractions and temptations of the modern world
i dont know what happend to my post, was it deleted as what i was saying wasent very offensive.
i know the jesus army very well, they model themselves off the acts church the early church.
you just have to be very careful of them, dont be taken in by them.
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I'm glad Natasha found the event "amazing". It was great to be there and doing stuff in the middle of London.
In response a question that is sometimes asked, although some of us do live in Christian community, it's fairer to say we think that "some Christians" rather than "all Christians" should live in community. The majority of the Jesus Army's membership (80% or so) live in their own place, rather than in Christian community. Those that do live communally share in a common pot, which is not the same by any means as giving it all to the church. If you want to read more, see http://jesus.org.uk or http://jez.uz/fb (for facebook).