“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.”

Ezekiel 36:25

We had a work day on Saturday at Prince of Peace. There were a number of projects and a number of teams. I led the charge with the power washer team that attacked our playground. Our equipment needed a good cleaning—a really good cleaning. It was filthy. Covered in neglect and weather by the winter. It needed some love from the 15º nozzle and the hose on full blast. I went to town.

Each pass stripped away the grime. I’ve always appreciated the immediate gratification of power washing. It’s painting the dirt away. In an instant the surface is restored—good as new! Everything is refreshed.

My team worked for a solid 2 hours. Our playground jungle gym isn’t that big. But the three slides have a lot of surface and they are unconventional shapes. Even still, every swipe of the wand brought a new sheen of life out of the bright orange plastic. By the end—who am I kidding, five minutes in—I was soaked.

The last task to tackle was the plastic picnic tables. To be honest, I left the best for last. They were so disgusting. I can only imagine the Petri dish of germs that were growing on its surface. If you ate on that surface and didn’t get sick—you don’t need a flu shot this year—you’re good to go. That’s how gross it was.

Perhaps you’ve done some spring cleaning already this year. I haven’t gotten that fully into Spring yet—but I have done the pollen blow off a couple of times already. There is something refreshing about a good, deep Spring cleaning.

With a spiritual thinking hat on, you can see the work of Jesus as the power washing of our lives. In the waters of baptism, God sprays you clean. He makes you good as new. The filth and grime are washed through and through. The gunk and ganure (rhythms with manure) are removed. Clean. New. Fresh. This is you in baptism

Our Lord makes you new. “As good as new” is akin to as good as in the garden—back to the start. Back to how the Lord intended everything to be. But, better. There’s a newness to the New Jerusalem. How? Jesus washes you clean. He rinses you from of the disease of sin.He scrubs away your guilt and shame.He polishes your purpose and launches you into it.He buffs away the blemishes of residual sin and puts a clean coat of sheen upon you.

This is Jesus. This is His gift to you. He makes of you and of me a holy people.

What in your life needs some of God’s holy power washing?