Written on Our Hearts
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Sunday, February 18, 2007, 6:00 p.m.

How many of you are parents? How many of you have ever had any trouble with your children? How many of you have found it difficult to get them to do what you want them to do? All of us are somebody's children. Even if you don't have children of your own, do you ever remember giving your parents a hard time? Did you ever do anything that you knew was absolutely wrong-but you did it anyway? It is amazing that God gives us some of the most precious gifts in the world, babies-but does not give us a manual on how to raise them. If we buy a computer, we get a manual. If we buy a new car, we get a manual. If we buy a CD or DVD player, we get a manual. BUT-with one of the most intricate and complicated gifts-a human infant-we don't get a manual. As one accountant observed-"Children may be deductible, but they are also taxing!"

And being a parent can be extremely frustrating and exhausting. I like the story about one young mother who had four small children at home. A friend gave her a play pen, which she gladly accepted. She wrote a thank-you note to her friend: "Thank you so much for the gift of the play pen; I love it!" "I have put it in the middle of the living room." "I sit in it for hours-and the children can't get to me!"

SPEAKING OF CHILDREN, I WONDER IF GOD SOMETIMES GETS AS FRUSTRATED WITH US AS WE DO WITH OUR OWN? Bill Cosby was being interviewed the other day on a talk show. I suspect that many of us (and God) are disappointed with some of the personal choices he has made. But during his career as a comedian, he has presented some of the funniest material I have ever heard. I became a fan back in middle school when he was doing the "Noah" routine and others. I also enjoyed his book, Fatherhood. He says that the first parent was not Adam or Eve-it was God-and even God had trouble with these kids. The first thing God said to the kids was what most parents say to their kids-"Don't!" And Adam replied, "Don't what?" And God said, "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." And Adam said, "Forbidden fruit? Really? Where is it?" Sound familiar? Eventually God says, "All right then-get out of here-go forth, be fruitful and multiply." God wanted to make sure that Adam and Eve had children of their own!

THE PROPHET JEREMIAH TALKS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANITY. In many ways it resembles the relationship between parents and children. The passage we heard is fairly short-just a few verses. But the word "covenant" is repeated over and over again. What comes to mind when you hear the word "covenant?" Many of us probably think of some type of agreement between two people or two groups of people. Often there is an assumption of equal sharing and cooperation in the relationship. We speak of the marriage covenant-an agreement between two people where each is giving 100% to the relationship. When the percentages get out of whack-the relationship often gets out of whack.

Or we may enter into other kinds of covenants-with friends, as members of a group or organization, as one taking on responsibilities. As members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we talk about our covenantal relationship with the regional and general church-not a relationship bound by law, but one bound by love and mutual respect. These are examples of certain kinds of covenants. But what about a covenant that is offered by God? When God offers to establish a covenant with God's people-there can be no equal terms. Right? We cannot bring enough to the table to even begin to talk in those kinds of terms. There is no bargaining here. The whole approach, the whole initiative, the whole offer comes from God. Literally, the word in the text carries a meaning like our word "will." We put together wills to designate where we want our gifts to go after we're gone. And if a family member leaves us something in his or her will-we are free to accept or reject the gift.

So what is different about this "new" covenant Jeremiah talks about? Many folks feel that this prophet was way ahead of his time. Some describe him as a "spokesman out of time." And some people describe the words we have heard tonight as "the gospel before the gospel!" Jeremiah offers this wonderful vision of a new relationship between God and God's people! The old covenant was based on keeping the Law. The new covenant is based on an internal change within the hearts and souls of the people of God. The new covenant was an inclusive covenant-binding the nations of Israel and Judah, which had been separated for centuries. People were invited to relate to God-not out of the fear of punishment-but from a relationship grounded in love. This new covenant gave people the freedom to make choices-but also forgiveness when the freedom was misused. The new covenant is offered by a God whose justice is swallowed up in love.

SO WHAT COULD IT MEAN FOR US TO HAVE THAT KIND OF COVENANT "WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS?" I would guess that some of us have had the experience of being in a relationship that moved from an "old covenant" mentality to a "new covenant" relationship. For instance, parents try to impose a set of external rules, laws, guidelines on children-hoping that the values will eventually "stick" when they become older. In relationships, oftentimes a sense of duty is the initial driving force-but through time the motivation becomes grounded in love and mutual sharing. This happens in our God-relationship too. The rules and standards are always important-they provide a foundation and framework for our living. But eventually, because we love God and want to please God-we do them naturally-without thinking. Jesus said, "If you love me-you will keep my commandments." So, to have God's law written on our hearts means that we will become inner-directed, Spirit-directed, God-directed-rather than outer-directed. Outer-directed people guide their behavior on whatever is popular; for outer-directed folks, peer pressure is irresistible-they have to blend in. But we know what can happen when we let other people determine our behavior-the majority may be the winners-but they're not always right.

I like that old story about the new preacher who moved to a new church. This particular church didn't have a lawn mower so he was looking for someone to either mow the lawn or sell him a used lawnmower. One day he saw a young man going by pushing a lawnmower. So the preacher asked him, "Hey, looking for a job?" The young man said, "Sure." It turned out that he was mowing yards and trying to earn enough money to buy a bicycle. This preacher was kind of young and didn't mind mowing the yard so he told the young man: "Look, I've got a 10-speed bicycle that I never ride any more." "What do you say we trade the bicycle for the lawnmower?" Well, the young man was ecstatic. They swapped and the young man took off on the bicycle. He rode around the block and came back to see the preacher standing in the same place wiping sweat off his brow. The preacher asked the boy to stop and said, "Hey, I've pulled on the rope a half a dozen times and this lawn mower just won't start." The young man said, "Preacher, I hate to tell you this but it's a special kind of lawnmower-you have to cuss to get it to start." The preacher said, "Well, I've been in the ministry so long I don't think I can remember how to cuss." The young man grinned and said, "Pull on the rope some more and it'll come back to you."

We know what it means to be "outer-directed." Some of you may be aware that today has been designated "Amazing Grace" Sunday. Two hundred years ago, British politician William Wilberforce and his band of loyal friends took on the most powerful forces of their day to end the slave trade. His mentor was John Newton, the slave-trader-turned-songwriter who wrote one of the world's most popular hymns, "Amazing Grace." This year marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, but the work of justice and mercy continues. Unbelievably, today an estimated 27 million people are still living in slavery-more than at any other time in history. Next weekend a film will be released that will chronicle the work of the abolitionists. But the people who are promoting the film also hope there is a revival of the campaign to end slavery once and for all. Today, tens of thousands of people around the globe will cross racial and denominational divides to stand united against this ongoing human atrocity.

We know what it looks like when people lose their way! Sometimes it is tempting to become "outer-directed." But God "wills" that we accept this new covenant. A covenant that is written on our hearts… A covenant that moves us from being self-centered to God-centered… A covenant that takes us from being self-involved to God-involved, from being self-serving to God-serving. Too often we are more concerned about what somebody else can do for us. Too often we are more concerned about what God can do for us-than about what we can do for God. When God's covenant is written on our hearts, we will move beyond our own little worlds and become involved with others-and we'll also develop a deeper sense of trust in God. Some of you may have seen the article about Tony Dungy, the coach of the latest Super Bowl champions-the Indianapolis Colts. I have to admit that my loyalties were split during that game-because I grew up on the south side of Chicago. But I also have great respect for Coach Dungy-he is living proof that nice guys can finish first, receive great fame and fortune, and still remain faithful. Many of you also know that he and his family have suffered great heartache. He recently spoke at an "Athletes in Action" breakfast-and someone asked how he was able to return to the Colts so quickly after his son's death. Dungy said, "People ask me, 'How did you recover so quickly?" Dungy said, "I'm not totally recovered-I don't know that I ever will be. It's still very, very painful, but I was able to come back because of something one of my good Christian friends said to me after the funeral. His words helped me through the grieving process. He reminded me that because of Christ's spirit in me, I could have confidence that James is in heaven, at peace with the Lord, and I have peace of mind in the midst of something that's very, very painful." "That's my prayer today, that everyone in this room would know the same thing." Dungy is one who knows about the covenant being written on his heart.

Some of you may remember a story that the great preacher Gardner Taylor tells about Vernon Jordan. At the time, Jordan was serving as the national director of the Urban League-and because of his efforts, there was an assassination attempt on his life. Jordan was in the painful process of recovering from the wounds of a sniper when Taylor visited him. While Taylor was there, Jordan shared this powerful story. After he was shot, he said he saw himself die-his life passed before him. But one thing kept coming back to him. When he was a student living away from home, his mother had written to him every day. Some letters were short-some were long.
But always, at the end of every letter, was her signature and these words: "Remember son, if you trust God, God will take care of you." Close to death, Jordan said that his mother's words kept coming back to him. When she was finally able to visit him, he spoke, not as one of the nation's great leaders-but as his mama's child. He held her hand and said, "Mama-you told me that if I trust God, that God will take care of me." "Mama, thank you." What had been written so many times on paper by his mother-became written on his heart.

That's what God offered through Jeremiah many years ago. That's what God offers to you and to me today-a new covenant. This is a covenant presented with peace. This is a covenant loaded with love. This is a covenant based in grace. I would like to invite you to do something a little different now…we have sung "Amazing Grace" earlier in the service-But I would like you to hum the tune together…And invite you to hear again thesegrace-full words from Jeremiah…

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, 'Know the Lord', for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.