January 1, 2025 — 7 Days After My Head Exploded – Where’s the Tylenol?

January 1, 2025 — 7 Days After My Head Exploded – Where’s the Tylenol?

“You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

Have you watched the Santa movie with Tim Allen? He plays a toy manufacturer who becomes Santa through a series of unfortunate events to “another” Santa (which if you ask this Cranky Reverend is just wrong). At one point the company this “new” Santa works for during the day is pitching an idea of selling a toy where Santa rides into town, not on a sleigh, but on a Tank – called “Total Tank”. Here is an ornament depicting something similar – Santa’s new ride (same idea, different developer). “Look out kids, I hope you have been good because Santa just took out the Johnson house.”  This Cranky Reverend is not so sure this fits with the image of Santa, so it isn’t always good to get rid of the old, and put on the new….but of course this guy is Cranky Reverend’s competition….

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self ….and to put on the new self…” Ephesians 4

Taking off the old and putting on the new…it is the process we go through as we continue to learn what it means to live the Christ-like life and follow the teachings of Jesus. We will, from time to time feel the pull of our “old life” as we attempt to put on the “new life” of Jesus Christ. The above text reminds us that we are to be constantly aware of the pull of the old, as we focus on the new.

To “take off” means to remove, but it also means to release, to “blast off”. The author of this letter uses the simplest of terms to illustrate what we are called to do in the Christ-life – we must remove those actions and desires that have taken us down one path, perhaps a path that has caused us trouble — rejecting them, divesting ourselves of them — just as you would take off your dirty clothes. And yet we are called to “take off” on a new course of action, to “blast off” on a new direction in life. In other words, as we “take off” the old, we “take off” on the new direction following the teachings of Jesus, supported by the Holy Spirit.

Now, does Cranky Reverend want to see Santa blasting away on a tank? It certainly is not an image builder for Santa. But for Christians it can take us on adventures we just cannot imagine.

Pastor Dave