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“Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Ephesians 6:11-14

The title for this ornament: “Joyful Flying Tutu Wearing Ballerina Pig Ornament”. People of G-d…..people of G-d what is happening to our society? Even if this Cranky Reverend could think up such an abomination, CR would never think to mass produce it. It would remain in the resources of CR’s mind – a scary place to be. Yes, CR might need therapy.

“Put on the full armor of God”

Life reminds us over and over again that living life in the 21st century is a struggle – sometimes a battle of good and evil, right and wrong – other times just a battle to get by. But we were never promised a rose garden in this life, and yet that should not destroy our hopes for some rosy outcomes. The explanation of this struggle lies deeper than we ordinarily think. The common view of our struggle in life has been that we are engaged in conflict against other people, against other flawed men and women. But Paul says the battle lies deeper than that. The basic problem is that this is a battle between the kingdom of G-d and the kingdom of Satan – and we are the battlefield. This is why we need to put on the whole armor of G-d, so that we can not only withstand the attacks from our visible enemies but also fight against the inner tensions and fears of our individual lives including work, home, family and church struggles.

How do we do this? Scripture gives us the answer: “Stand… and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.” The belt of truth is the word of G-d, and if you do not study and read the word of G-d on a regular basis, how can you know the truth? And, the breastplate of righteousness is the person of Jesus Christ.

There is a saying that goes something like: “I will believe it when pigs fly”. Well, here you have the ornament to give you hope – the pig is flying, wearing a tutu and filled with joy. Underneath that tutu and fancy hat is a pig wearing the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness that gives her the joy of Christ. We need to live into this joy each and every day. Wait, what is that flying outside CR’s window…….

Pastor Dave

“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

If Cranky Reverend still had hair, this would be the ornament for CR. Raise your hand if you would rather find a good book or three and take a seat in a coffee shop somewhere and immerse yourself in reading for about 12 hours every day. Cranky Reverend loves to read in coffee shops. They have all the amenities CR needs: coffee, bathrooms, chairs, anonymity. You see, CR is really an introvert, though many might find that hard to believe. Of course, maybe you don’t find that hard to believe. Wait, let me ask my one friend. OK, so my one friend told me to get over myself and to go back to reading. No wonder CR has no friends.

The Gospel writer Matthew packs in so much in this last bit of the Sermon on the Mount. There are gems in here like “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged”, and “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”, and “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you”, and “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven”. Even Thomas Jefferson identified the Sermon on the Mount along with the Ten Commandments as the basis of the moral principles on which the USA should be founded.

Ultimately, this Cranky Reverend believes one of the most difficult commands of Jesus involves not judging others. One thing social media has provided so many people is a platform to allow anonymous people to pass judgment upon their brothers and sisters based on one or two comments they make on social media. Cranky Reverend spends many Sundays’ trying to convince CR’s congregation not to look for the worst in people, but always look for the best in people – and this is the higher calling, and the most difficult calling, especially in 21st century America.

Following the presidential election of 2024, people are so afraid of the future they are taking their fears and anger out on each other – people they have never met – strangers who disagree with them politically, religiously, and socially. It is like a shooting gallery where everyone is the target, and everyone is the shooter. And believe it or not, some of these are people who are commenting on social media sites developed by leaders in the church.

“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you”, and “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven”. Even if you mention this scripture and teaching by Jesus to those who are most angry, they will come up with some comment like “Oh, so you think you are better than others”.  CR does not think CR is better than other people. CR is, however called to live a “better way” based on the teachings of Jesus. This Cranky Reverend knows quoting scripture will not calm down the fears that people have right now, but at least the scripture can inform CR’s reactions to their fears.

Pastor Dave