Psalm 1 and its natural setting

The axe is at the root of the trees.

Will we watch with him?

This week can we too watch with him, for one brief hour, in this his time of victory through life laid down (John 12:24-25; Rom 12:1)? Let us join these beautiful, ancient olive trees, who once watched their Lord and Maker, so hard-pressed, give all for us: that we might lay down our lives too, for him, much fruit to bear, and by his death, receive new life in him.

GETH-SEMANE – garden of the olive oil press

O Garden, Garden, Gan Gat-Semenah, was this sight just for you, to keep?
Your Lord in such dire straits, alone, His friends asleep?

Did you watch with Him one brief hour, while He did seek to flee
From His afearéd choice. “Avi, my Father, take this dread cup away from Me!
Yet not My will, O Lord of Mine, but Yours be done”.

O Garden, full of Tears, and witnessing such awe-some things,
Oil so hard-pressed, now poured out, Your Master held by satan’s rings.
Trees that He planted, olive-healing for His blinded sheep,
You witness such deep pain and agony, His death-door openings.

Was ever garden formed for this, to wait like Miriam for her heaven's sword?
Mirror of Gan Eden, broken, yet through great love, to be restored?
Ancient trees, all-giving, and like Father, watching in His perfect time
For Jesus - come to weep His life full out, to give in all-surrender, and
In suffering now, His learned obedience, laid down His will before His Lord.

We, too, do need this breaking, willingly, no sentient feeling
Only - our will surrendered too with heavy tears before the King.
Our hiding place, security, is found alone in Him. Cross-bound, alone;
And broken, willingly, like Him we too may learn obedience through
Our suffering - “Thy will be done”. Ourselves now to this Love unknown,
Embraced and held, in our reflecting all-surrender, we must bring.

This garden will again be new, restored to pristine beauty now,
And man, like olive trees that watched the victory of their Lord, will bow
The knee to Him. His sweat, like blood - expression of His love
Out-poured in prayer, His life laid down - will bear the promised fruit.
And we, brought back to Eden, fruit of His fruit, no longer sleeping-mute,
Will give Him all our thanks and praise, for death and life hard-won by Him,
And yes, for His long-suffering, our very life in Him, and to complete our vow.

Gan Gat-Semenah, Good Friday

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.