Over the past few weeks of Lent, we have had the gradual revelation of what it is that God demands of us and what it is that he has planned for us. Our season of Lent is not to be seen as something burdensome, but rather our devotion to prayer, fasting and giving is about pleasing God not appeasing him.

Perhaps this is where he is leading us over these weeks, to a deeper understanding of relationship between ourselves and God. I would like this morning to be particularly heedful of our first reading. This is indeed, one of those profound passages that should shape our faith. It is the message of Jesus — his mission and purpose encapsulated in a simple phrase — a new covenant. Jeremiah has the privilege of recording the promise of things to come.

So what is a Covenant?

A covenant is a promise or agreement made between two parties. It invokes the power of the deity to enforce the penalties upon non compliance and was sealed in the blood of a sacrifice. In biblical terms, covenants were made between God and either individuals or the nation of Israel. We have heard of some in our readings this Lent. There is the covenant with Noah, that the land will not be destroyed again by flood, and with Abraham that he will become a great nation and with David that a descendant will rule the nation. The whole Sinai experience, was about God covenanting with the nation of Israel.

Covenants have in them terms of compliance and penalties for non-compliance, and at the time of Jeremiah’s writing, the penalties of the Sinai covenant were being invoked and the nation was heading off into exile.

It is at this time that God introduces something new — something to look forward to. Not based on compliance to a set of rules, but rather to a totally new experience. God would change them from the inside to be the people he desired. The law would be written in their hearts and not on stone. There was coming a new covenant and this would totally revolutionise the relationship between God and his people. God it seems, desires to be our God, and wants us to be his people. Remember the message from last week? God came not to judge, but to save.

So this new covenant is about a change in relationship with God, through a change within ourselves. It is through the Pentecost experience, we come to understand that this will be achieved through the agency of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit that we will no longer to be taught of the Lord for He will teach us and we will know God, in all the intimacy that there is in the biblical sense of that word.

So this is our destiny — an intimate and personal relationship with our God — Father Son and Holy Spirit. This is what is meant when we speak of the New Covenant in the consecration prayer — as we repeat the words of Jesus.

There is so much meaning in this. It is not just a memorial of a past event — Jesus says, "This is my body, my blood". They are not symbols but to the faithful they are drawing into oneself of the very presence of our Lord. But there is more. For we receive as we put out our hands. What is on offer, requires our response.

It is a gift from God but until we take it to ourselves, it means nothing at all. It is the taking that gives the significance. And as this new covenant is sealed in the blood of our Lord, so as we enter into communion, we enter into this mystical relationship with God.

Perhaps there is one more image to give you. I don’t know when the last time you sat and watched a sunrise. It is most profound experience in the great contrast between night and day. What a change it is, from darkness to light and you know that this all occurs with little or no sound. It is the silence that intrigues me — I believe that this is what happens as the new covenant enters in. Not with a fanfare, not with a great parade, but in the simplicity of the stillness of God. I am mindful of the carol "Silent Night", or the third verse in ‘O little town of Bethlehem" —

I believe that as we come close to Easter, we ought to seek out this stillness. We, you and I, ought to make space for the quiet still voice of God; to allow him to speak to us, to write his law on our hearts and to allow him to forgive us.

Our Lent and Easter seasons give us a special opportunity to make space for God, it would be a shame if we were to let this opportunity slip.

There is something else to think about. In as much as God will draw near to us in the stillness, then this is model for our ministry as well. We can be tempted to act with fanfare and bravado, but this is not God’s way. His way is to minister in the quiet stillness. In background where we might be hardly noticed, but to create the environment where he can engage the individual. Let us also be conscious of allowing God to draw near to others.

So then in these last few weeks before Easter, will you covenant to seek out our Lord in the quiet stillness — to make space for him in our own lives and to give him opportunity to speak to others.