Jill James reviews 'The Lord's Orchard: God's Charter for Reformation' by Colin Urquhart (2015, 240 pages, RoperPenberthy Publishing)

This book is a significant contribution explaining - not judgmentally but positively - the process needed for reformation in the Church today. It lays out a comprehensive vision for what God wants his Body, the Church, to look like, and applies both corporately and individually.

Colin Urquhart is a prolific writer and best-selling author of Christian books, and has written before on the subject of the Father-heart of God. In The Lord's Orchard, God reveals his plans for the Church through a vision of a vast orchard, with each tree representing a church and each branch representing a believer, but with each planting also in a different state of health, growth or decay.

A Most Important Book

Through this vision, God subdues his disappointment with the modern Church by generously revealing his 'Charter for Reformation', so that the Church can repent and reform, to prepare and get ready to become the Bride of Christ. This is, therefore, a most important book - not for the bookshelf but for constant use and reference.

This book is a significant contribution laying out the process needed to reform the modern Church.

It is excellent in content and presentation, with a brief introduction from the author followed by 44 short(-ish!) chapters each dealing with an aspect of the vision God has for his people: including that they become a people who live in his mercy, a people who live by the truth, a people of the Holy Spirit, a people of humility and a people who live in the glory of God.

The soul searching required by this book is aided by a list of 'Key Questions' at the end. It all seems daunting at first, however readers can take comfort that the author himself has tried to put the book's themes into practice – so they are possible to follow.

Jolting Us Out of Complacency

Somewhere in every chapter there is a negative declaration, in bold print, usually starting with "No true believer would think or say such and such..." which jolts the reader suddenly out of complacency! This clever approach certainly alerts the conscience to self-searching honesty and even indignation – and the sudden negatives also work to dramatically accentuate the positives!

Sometimes the text seems quite wordy and some of the biblical references at the end of each chapter are not correct - probably due to a proofreading oversight. However, the text can stand alone because it is, of course, Bible-based.

Through a vision of an orchard, God graciously subdues his disappointment with the Church and generously reveals his charter for its reformation.

This book will surely encourage believers to have a closer walk and a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, to love God more as we ought, to pray in Spirit and in truth and to understand increasingly how to enjoy being reformed, both personally and corporately.

The Lord's Orchard has its own website, where you can find out more about the vision and watch an introductory video from Colin Urquhart. The book is available from the publisher for £9.99 + P&P. Also available on Amazon.