American Primitive by Mary Oliver (New York: Back Bay Books, 1983)
Most of what I read is geared around continually educating myself, primarily in the areas of spiritual growth. However, I occasionally read some fictional material, and have a few favorites. Another genre that I like to read often surprises many of my friends. I like to read poetry.
Several months ago, I purchased a book of the poetic works of Mary Oliver, called American Primitive. I promptly put it on my shelf and forgot all about it. But this week, I pulled it out and have spent some time reading through some of the selections offered. Her work is simple yet elegant, easy to read yet containing depths of meaning that strike you when you least expect it.
Oliver is a contemporary author, and has been publishing her work since the 1960s. Many of the poems in this volume are simple. But they speak right into the human heart will bless you as you read them. Containing an element of mystery, you might have to stop and consider what you read for a while,and allow it to sink in fully. But when you do, it will bring some relaxation to your soul.
I highly recommend you read some of her works. You can get a copy of American Primitive on Amazon.
The fifth chapter of Matthew begins what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. The three chapters that comprise this segment of Jesus’ teaching is perhaps some of the best known portions of the New Testament. And it begins with the Beatitudes.
The Sermon on the Mount is called this because this is where Jesus delivered these teachings, on a mountain plateau near Capernaum. Luke includes some similar segments of Jesus’ teaching, but he tells us that Jesus delivered that message form a plain. So it is very likely that Jesus gave these lessons on more than one occasion, to different listeners.
The nature of these teachings is very simple. They are profound statements, but very easy to hear and digest. That is why they are so memorable.
Matthew 5 begins by telling us that Jesus went up onto a mountain. And while it is clear that it was near the small community of Capernaum, we don’t know exactly what mountain it was. Apparently Matthew assumes his readers would know. Tradition states that it was a double peaked mountain with a level area near the top known as the Horns of Hattin. Wherever it was, it was convenient to Jesus and the crowds following him, so he used it.
The first thing Matthew gives is is a series of “Blessed are the…” statements. These are called the Beatitudes, quick and simple statements that convey a major truth. Jesus gives nine of them. The first seven relate to character, the last two deal with persecution. The reason for this is simple: those who display such character will suffer opposition from the enemy.
And while they are simple statements, they are both paradoxical and true. They may not make sense form a worldly perspective, but from God’s point of view, they make perfect sense.
Because of Jesus the sin we cannot forget God does not remember.
Change happens. Someone once said that the only things certain were death and taxes. While that may be true to a degree, there’s at least one more thing we can add to that list. Change is certain. Things will not stay the same, the way they are right now.
In my life, I have had a season of change. One of my kids, my oldest, is fully independent for the very first time. She and her roommate got an apartment. It’s a hard thing for me to see that one of my kids is old enough for that to be true. Change.
My second child just graduated. She’s getting her first car later this summer. She’s headed to college this fall. That’s also hard for me to accept. And on top of that, this year has been a crazy one for her as well. She finished high school in the midst of COVID-19; graduation and prom were postponed, and most of her senior year was derailed. Change.
My third child just turned 16. He’s learning to drive. He has not yet chosen to get his driver’s license… yet. But that change will happen sooner or later. Change.
So change is certain. If that’s the case, then how do we deal with it? How do we adjust? How do we embrace it? And how do we prepare ourselves for it? These are the questions rattling around in my head this week. I hope they challenge your thoughts as well.
Also, isn’t that T-shirt sweet? One of my favorite movies is Tommy Boy, with Chris Farley. Callahan Auto Parts was his father’s company in that movie. So the T-shirt was a must-have.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind. From resources, to things I’m thinking about or studying from Scripture, to fun stuff, I hope these ramblings can be a fun part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Callahan Auto Parts T-shirt
Tommy Boy on DVD
Worldliness is whatever makes sin look normal and righteousness look strange.
The Truth About Cancer by Ty Bollinger (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc., 2016)
Cancer is everywhere it seems. A hundred years ago, the odds of experiencing cancer were somewhere around 1 in 80. Today, it’s more like 1 out of 3 will experience it. Why has it increased so drastically? And why aren’t the treatments that are being given to people working as much as we might expect them to?
Ty Bollinger thinks that we are approaching the matter in the wrong way. Big Pharma, using petroleum/chemical based pharmaceuticals, may not be the best way to treat cancer, and may be, in fact, harming us more than we realize.
For centuries, more natural remedies have been utilized to treat illness and disease. But over the last century, we’ve largely abandoned those methods. Is that abandonment justified? And if not, then what can we do to “relearn” some of those helpful approaches to treatment?
Those are some of the questions that Bollinger explores in The Truth About Cancer. And with so many people in my life who have experienced this disease, and died from it, I’m interested in what he has to say about it.
If you are interested in reading The Truth About Cancer, by Ty Bollinger, you can pick up a copy on Amazon.
The final three verses of Matthew 4 summarize the first part of the ministry of Jesus in the region of Galilee. This summary is for a lengthy period of time, and is covered in detail in the coming chapters of Matthew.
The ministry of Jesus is described and summarized in this brief passage, giving us some insights into the ministry strategy of Jesus as he seeks to serve people in this region. Matthew gives us the three main thrusts of Jesus ministry, after calling many to follow him: teaching, preaching, and healing.
Teaching
First, Matthew tells us that Jesus spends time teaching in the synagogues. The synagogue was the Jewish place of worship, where the Jews met every Sabbath. Such a location was an ideal place for Jesus to spend time teaching, since it was a gathering place for the Jewish people.
Typically, a service would include some reading from the Old Testament. After this, the local leader, or rabbi, would speak. As a rabbi, Jesus would have received the invitation to speak in settings such as this, providing the perfect opportunity to use Old Testament Scripture to point to the reality of a new kingdom coming.
