By Shannon Wright
Nearly 100 people from across North Louisiana gathered in a pasture in Heflin on Saturday night, October 24 for the first-ever Fire in the Field, an evening of praise, worship and fellowship.
Hosted by Tara and Jonathan Wallace, the event began with a simple desire to open their property to the community and create a place where people could come as they are and encounter Jesus.
Although the evening was set to begin at 6 p.m., with daylight still shining, it was too bright to get started. Instead, those gathered settled into their lawn chairs, fellowshipped and enjoyed an unexpected blessing: an incredibly beautiful sunset.
It was like a fire in the sky, providing a breathtaking beginning to an evening that would carry its own special kind of fire. As darkness settled in, a nearly full moon shone brightly behind the crowd, adding to the beauty of the night.
A parish-wide burn ban meant there could be no actual fire, but there was fire in the hearts of those who came to worship.
Praise and worship music was led by Enrique Magana, worship leader at First Methodist Church in Monroe.
People traveled from many different areas, representing many different denominations, but they came together in that pasture as one Body of Christ.
When asked to share her thoughts about the experience, Tara Wallace described an evening that was even more meaningful than she and her husband had imagined.
“Fire in the Field began as a simple desire Jonathan and I had to create a place where people could come as they were and encounter Jesus. But as I stood in our pasture and watched the candlelight shine across the field, heard voices lifted together in worship, and saw people carry their burdens to the cross, I felt completely overwhelmed by the presence and goodness of God.
“One line kept echoing in my heart: ‘It’s all about You, Jesus.’ Those words from ‘The Heart of Worship’ captured the meaning of the entire night. Worship does not require church walls, a stage or perfection, it only requires hearts willing to seek Him.
“We may have opened our field, but God met us there, and I will carry that night in my heart forever. My deepest prayer is that no one left their praise in the pasture, but that they carried the light and love of Jesus back into their homes, families and communities.”
The Wallace family hopes to make Fire in the Field an annual or semi-annual event.
Fire in the Field was a reminder that when hearts come together to seek Him, the presence of God can be found anywhere, even in a pasture in Heflin.