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You know, the story and today's scripture have a lot to say about each other. Think of the story. What does Wilfird hear said about Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper [that she had lost her memory] and off he went to discover what a Memory was. He heard great answers - a memory is something warm , it is from long ago, it is something that makes you cry, it is something that makes you laugh, and its something as precious as gold. Then he proceeded to find things that were like that and bring them to Miss Cooper in hopes that it might bring back her memory.
So too is God speaking of something that has been lost. Not necessarily a memory – rather a covenant. The covenant has been broken – even though God has remained faithful and we have strayed. But God is willing to re-establish a new covenant, similar to the old covenant but one that will be markedly different.
Listen to the text - God will put his teaching inside of us, he will write it on our hearts, and we shall be his people, and he our God. And know longer will we have to teach each other how to be God’s people. We will know. Now in a way it sounds like memory and this new covenant have got to be pretty similar. Think about it ... your memory is inside of you, written on your hearts, and is a relationship it ties you to someone else, or another time and place. Lastly, memories are just plain known. They do not have to be taught to each other – we have experienced them.
Fredrick Buechner has a book entitled "A Room to Remember." The premise of the book is that everyone needs a room to remind them of who they are. We must have a place that reminds us of who we were, and describes us now in the present, and goes on to give us hope for the future. Many of you know that Rev. Mark Young our Senior Minister has just such a room where he keeps many of his collectibles and life memories. In a way the church becomes a room to remember. It serves as the spiritual post it note on the bathroom mirror to remind us that we are God’s people. The cross reminds us of who we were, the Baptismal font describes who we are, and the chalice and paten give us hope to dream of the future. This spiritual post-it note is the covenant that binds us together as church and binds the church together with God lest we forget who and whose we are.
Wilifird doesn’t use a room to help Miss Cooper remember, rather he uses a box. My first impression was to draw an analogy from this story that we as the church have developed amnesia and must be reminded of who we are by the children in our midst and by the Bible. But I rather like the story as it stands. That we the church have been afflicted with dementia, Alzheimer’s even. We have forgotten our memory, the covenant. And we are locked inside this experience until we are met by Jesus who carries a box to remember. In this box are symbols, tastes and touches that remind us of who we are and whose we are. It is a slow and painful process. But at least we know that someone loves us enough to remind us that we are not alone.
I want to close with one last story to drive home the point or being led by little children, and the covenant written on the heart.
The Reverend Mary Birgelaitis tells the story of a three-year-old and a five-year-old who were playing on the floor while the adults finished their dinner. Lisa, the five-year-old, opened her new toy nurse's kit and finally convinced her brother to be her patient. She took the little stethoscope from the bag and placed it on her brother's chest. Listening intently - as good nurses do - she suddenly announced: "I hear somebody walking around in there." The adults smiled knowingly, but little Ryan, the three-year-old, matter-of-factly answered: "Why, that must be Jesus." So it is.
May we be faithful to the covenant that God has written on our hearts like memory and bind ourselves unto God, knowing that we are God’s people. And if we do begin to forget may God bless us with a box to remember.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.