“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

What comes to mind when most individuals hear the term, “good works”?  In the secular culture, as well as among Christians, we are programmed from little on to view good works as acts of physical and material assistance:  things like helping old ladies across a busy street, carrying soup to the sick or indigent, or cleaning up someone else’s mess.  As a youngster, I learned my Girl Scout slogan:  “Do a good turn, daily.”  I used to ponder that one.  Was I only supposed to do one?  How absurd to my growing mind, which tended to focus on logic!

Who can fault the value of the above listed kinds of good works?  They are essential to living in community.  The world would be a far better place if more people would respond to the material needs of others!  In Christian circles, the concept of good works includes rendering physical, material assistance while focusing on that all-important ”good work” of sharing the Gospel and the truths of God’s Word.  Rightly so!  We are spiritual as well as physical creatures.  A Biblical church or para-church ministry will nurture both aspects of our human-ness while realizing that the spiritual aspect is all important, because it has to do with eternal destiny—either with or apart from our Creator. 

Yet there is still another dimension of human personality which is sometimes by-passed or ignored in some contemporary settings:  the dimension of the human soul—including mind, emotions, and a sensitivity for art and beauty.  Especially glaring, is the lack of appreciation for the fine arts among some contemporary Evangelical groups.  Why don’t more Christian believers have a passion for the arts, and for all those creative good works which reflect God’s creativity?  

Why the dichotomy that declares a jarring “praise band” (or toneless chorus chanted over and over in a worship setting) to be “sacred”, yet considers high quality and thought provoking drama to be “secular?  “Didn’t God create us to be balanced, whole individuals with all facets of our humanity developed?  How can humans who know our Lord, and desire to celebrate His excellence ignore the good works of human creativity—when each of us was created in God’s very image?  Is it not one of the greatest tragedies of our age, that the Christian Church has conformed to a dumbed-down culture rather than striving to fill mind and soul with that which is loveliest, highest, and best?

While stocking a food pantry is considered a good work, writing a poem or painting a picture is frequently not considered to be any kind of work at all—unless that poem or painting deals specifically with some Biblical theme and can be used in church or Sunday School, or perhaps as an Evangelistic tool.  In the field of the arts, music alone is valued by believers—”Christian music” that is. 

Great music down through the centuries has glorified God.  Composers like Bach, Handel, and the old traditional hymn writers have given us a magnificent heritage which especially some of the large and trendy seeker-friendly fellowships have abandoned—preferring to make church “fun” for undiscerning people, and thereby accumulate bodies to fill the pews by subscribing to the cultural norm of mediocrity.  Will the undiscering ever learn to discern, if they are never allowed to develop an appetite for excellence?  How can someone know he is malnourished, if he has never tasted real food?

Are the compositions of Vivaldi, Chopin, Grieg, and scores of others less than “good works”, for not spelling out a Biblical theme?  Obviously, those works would not be performed in a worship setting, yet they most certainly reflect the order and beauty of our Creator; they have immense “soul” value.  Since when is the human soul not an essential aspect of humanity—needing to be fed with fine quality fare, just as physical bodies need food?

Ephesians 2:10 includes all manner of good works, which God fore-ordained.  He created Heaven and earth, and all within.  At each stage, “God saw that it was good”.  He breathed His image into the human race, and a huge part of God’s image is the gift of creativity.  God created from nothing, but gave us the potential for appreciating beauty whenever possible.  God wills us to continuing creating out of materials around us, using the brains and imagination which He has provided—or at least to uphold creative priorities!

In Eternity Past, God prepared works for us to do—from food pantries to mellifluous poems, from flood relief to vibrant abstract paintings, from worship music to heart-rending opera and modern classics such as a mellow Scott Joplin rag.  When we are indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit, His life shines through all the dimensions of our personhood.  Body and soul are equally precious! 

Just as the natural world (albeit fallen) reflects God’s beauty, human creativity (in a small but valid way) can also mirror that beauty.  We can strive for excellence, and choose what we put in our souls!

Margaret L. Been, ©2012

Note:  A favorite book which I read again and again is John Wesley’s Journal.  The man never ceases to amaze me—for his Christ focus, his hardiness, and his cheerful determination against any and all obstacles.  One feature stands out in Wesley’s Journal:  he valued the fine arts.  Along with accounts of ministry and Evangelistic meetings, Wesley reveals his love for fine music, drama, and art.  He describes a home where he had occasion to visit, with an appreciative account of the tasteful and beautiful furnishings therein.  John Wesley was thoroughly alive, in every dimension of his being.  There was no dichotomy in his life.  A great role model! 

Although the above photo is accidently blurry because I must have jiggled while photographing, it makes me think of how I’m viewing the passing year—through tears of thanksgiving and joy.  It seems like yesterday, when 2011 began in the midst of unprecendented challenges for Joe and me.  Then, suddenly in September, those challenges dissolved into blessing upon blessing.  I’m a bit of a stoic in the midst of troubles, and normally do not cry during times of stress and hardship.  I just pray and soldier on in God’s grace, keeping my chin up.  But when the hard times cease and the relief pours in, then I weep many tears of gratitude.

Normally by January 1st, I’m chomping to dismantled the appurtenances of Christmas and pack them away for another year.  Garden dreams grow with the daylight minutes which begin increasing right after Christmas Day, and I anticipate another season of outdoor living. 

Now it is December 31st.  Tomorrow I may think differently, but today I am hanging on to 2011 due to the many blessings we’ve experienced therein:  Joe’s miraculous healing from 3rd and 4th degree burns requiring radical surgery, Joe’s healing from a totally shot rotator cuff and surgery, Joe’s healing from congestive heart failure and the satisfactory implantation of a pacemakier/defibrillator, my helpful therapies for chronic lumbar and sacral pain, my cataract surgery resulting in 2 regenerated eyes, many family gatherings, 3 new great-grandbabies born (plus 2 which were born at the end of 2010), and a brand new son-in-law as of 12/30/11. 

(For wonderful wedding news, please refer to another of my blogs:  http://hiswordistrue.wordpress.com/   .)

Today I believe I’ll keep the manger scene and our sweet little Christmas tree up for a few more weeks (or days) because I’m overwhelmed with joy over the blessings of 2011.  But when the tree does come down, my memories will remain.  What a gift, the blessing of memory!  When we humans forget the unpleasant events of the past and keep the joy in our hearts and minds, we are forever wealthy!

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

Star Shadows 

Tiny child, lost in sleep—

 inexorable sleep

winged on Hebrew lullaby . . . 

Did one small hand emerge in sleep 

from swaddling cloth,

a tiny starhand

 turning under stable-filtered light

 of greater star?

 And did that greater star

 spill shadows on a mother’s pondering?

 As she grasped the starhand, did she see

 a shadow path from Heaven

 to Calvary?

 ©Margaret Longenecker Been

“Summer and winter,

Springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold worship

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.”

Great Is Thy Faithfulness, T. O. Chisholm and William M. Runyan

Today after church, a friend and I shared our mutual excitement over the fact that in just a couple of weeks the days will start getting longer again.  Vikki and I track those additional minutes.  Tracking daylight has been an annual ritual for me for many years.  Before computers, I did the figuring from THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC—an arduous process, and I probably made many errors.  Now I let the U. S. Naval Observatory do the math for me, via a website.

There may be people who never give the length of daylight a second thought, and perhaps couldn’t care less.  But for some of us, just knowing that the sun is on its way back to our hemisphere is a huge comfort.  Night is soothing, and welcome after a full day.  But I love daylight with a passion!  When Daylight Saving ends, darkness descends with a thud—and winter is the next thing.  But the chill of winter is always eased for me, by the fact that our days are stretching at both ends.

As the beloved hymn based on Lamentations 3:23 affirms, the seasons bear witness to God’s faithfulness.  Life changes.  Our circumstances change.  The blessing of good health can vanish in the flash of a moment.  But God’s faithfulness is constant—summer and winter, springtime and harvest!

Note:  According to the Navy chart, our village of Nashotah, Wisconsin will have 9:00 hours of daylight from December 16th through Christmas Day.  On December 26th, we will have 9 hours and 1 minute—and by January 1st, 9 hours and 4 minutes.  From there on the daylight will increase right up to the summer solstice.  How great is that! :)

I love those late afternoon long shadows on the snow, beginning in February.  This year I hope to capture them in watercolors.  Emily Dickinson wrote about the shadows:  “There’s a certain slant of light, On winter afternoons, That oppresses like the weight, Of cathedral tunes.”

Unlike Emily, I find the “slant of light” inspiring rather than oppressing.  However there is poignant loneliness implicit in a winter twilight, and maybe that’s what Dickinson experienced—a longing for more light, and springtime. 

If I listen carefully I can almost hear the long blue shadows whispering across the snow, “Not yet.  Not yet.  Wait, just wait!”

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”  James 1:26

The above passage is so succinct, it makes me shudder!  When I consider the Biblical view of an unruly tongue, I’m thrown upon God’s mercy for any and every time I have failed to keep a “tight rein” on my tongue!  Scriptures are loaded with references to speech.  Words clearly differentiate between a wise person and a fool!   

We often hear someone say, “I was only kidding!”  Or, “But I didn’t mean that!”  However, the words have been spoken.  Words not only say what they have said in plain terms, but they also contain intrinsic messages and meanings—undeniable inferences and innuendoes which a careful listener will grasp. 

The retort, “But I didn’t mean that” is ineffectual against spoken words and the inferences therein!  In Matthew 12:34b we read, “. . . for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” 

Words reflect attitudes—indeed the very essence of mind and heart.  Words can be forgiven, and even forgotten.  But words, once spoken, can never be retrieved!

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

The above graphic is courtesy of Karen’s Whimsy.

Where can I begin to thank our Lord?  I have nothing but thanksgiving:  for God, and whom He is; for salvation, and the promise of eternal life; for more blessings on earth than I can begin to count—a happy childhood, ongoing cultural opportunities, a precious marriage of almost 59 years, a large and loving family, friends, a sweet dog, fresh air, the beauties of nature, a pleasant and comfortable home, food to eat, clothes to wear, a bed, a plethora of books, and an abundance of creative hobbies.

Where can I begin?  Perhaps with that huge blessing which is not listed above, yet one for which I thank God every single day:  FREEDOM.  With all that is wrong in America, we are still free.  We can publish our views around the world, via the internet—without censorship—at least for now.  We can choose our children’s education.  We can worship in public.  We can read our Bibles and pray in coffee houses and bistros, without fear—at least for now.  We are still free!

I read a lot of historical novels and documentary non-fiction on the subject of Irish history.  Actually I know Irish history nearly as well as I know that of my own country!  As I read, I think over and over:  Lord thank you that, with God’s enabling, my ancestors (many of Scottish and Irish descent) were able to overthrow the abject tyranny of the British Empire over 200 years ago.  The tenacity of the Irish people stirs my heart, profoundly!  I’m thankful for their determination to be free from centuries of brutal subjection—and I rejoice in the fact that today (at least much of) Ireland is free! 

I thank God that, throughout history, that there have been countless heroes who sacrificed everything they had for the cause of freedom!  And of all those heroes, no other people on earth loom larger in their quest for freedom than God’s chosen people—the Jews.  I’m thankful for American history, Irish history, and for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.  

Meanwhile although Christians everywhere have inner, spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ, much of the world is still in physical bondage.  I praise the Lord Jesus for His promise to return, and reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.  Someday, hopefully soon, the entire world will be free! 

“Yea, many people and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.”  Zechariah 8:22 

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

 “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

Looking back over a long life, I realize the the great attribute used by God to draw me to Himself was BEAUTY!  Obviously we fail to see our need for salvation until the Holy Spirit enlightens us as to our innate sinfulness.  But the catalyst to recognizing my need for salvation was my inordinate love for beauty. 

All my life I have been drawn to beauty and those qualities that define it:  justice, goodness, and purity—and I realize that it was God who was drawing me.  Somewhere along the way, my mind was compelled to acknowledge the presence of ugliness and brutality in the world.  Next I realized the absence of beauty my in own fallen nature—that shocking truth of my own sinfulness, and the fact that I could do nothing to save myself.  At that point, the Lord Jesus reached out to me with His unchanging, infinite beauty—ultimately demonstrated in His work of redemptive Love on Calvary!  How could I resist His saving Grace, as He drew me, and claimed me for Himself?!

Along with the beauty of God’s character, and that of our inherited spiritual blessings, there is the fact of material beauty.  God created a tangible universe.  Jesus walked on this fallen earth and verified the substance of beauty, wherever He changed lives.  Inner beauty cannot help but work out in terms of concrete beauty in our words, deeds, and the very environment we fashion around us. 

The beauty of a flower first blossomed in the mind of God.  Many an artful human rendering of beauty first germinated in God’s heart—as we mortals, however flawed, were made in the image of God.  Even the most basic shapes and smatterings of color on paper can be viewed as yearnings for that perfect beauty inherent in our Maker. 

As a new believer, nearly 40 years ago, I was immediately disillusioned and saddened by the lack of Beauty Recognition and Beauty Hunger that I found to be rampant in many of my newly acquired Christian “brothers and sisters”.   Too many Christians I met were so busy doing things, that they couldn’t care less about beauty.  The consideration of creating art and poetry, or even just contemplating God’s works of natural beauty, never entered their conversations.  Among the fine arts, only music was regarded as having value—and music was evaluated in pragmatic terms, as a conveyor of a worthy agenda (proclaiming God’s truth) but never simply for its aesthetic quality alone.  Mozart and Beethoven have had a tough time of it in many Evangelical circles!

Far too often, pragmatic considerations predominate over what should be an outworking of God’s creativity.  The “how to” of Christianity, as vital as that may be, sometimes preempts God’s command to be still and simply “be”.  We need to remember that the busy ”how to” things should be the fruit of our “being”—rather than our raison d’être!   

How do we “be”?  Romans 12:2 commands, “And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” 

We can only “be” through the activities of our mind—in essence, through quieting our busy lives and finding time to think.  We will “be” as we think on those Philippians 4:8 ”whatsoever things”!  Our capacity for balanced, Biblical thinking can only flourish in a fellowship where God’s Word is faithfully taught.

Today I’m a part of an amazing church where God’s Word is taught without compromise, and God’s love prevails.  Sound Bible teaching bears fruit resulting in an exuberant, God-glorifying freedom in this fellowship—where believers are grounded in the Word and continually being transformed through the renewing of their minds.  Renewed minds create balanced living where actions follow—rather than take the place of—”being”. 

The beauty of the Lord is evident among balanced Christians who value their relationship with the Savior before all else—and desire to reflect His beauty and creativity in all that they do!  

In one of her books, Edith Schaeffer wrote about young men who came to L’Abri from Africa.  The Africans explained how they were disappointed and turned off by some Christian missionaries in African countries, because no beauty was evidenced in the missionaries’ homes.  Instead, these homes were charactized by a lack of color and creativity.  The young men were correct in believing that our beautiful Lord should be reflected in a hunger for beauty and creativity among His people on earth!

Indeed, it was reading Edith Schaeffer that comforted and encouraged me as a new believer those many years ago.  Through her passion for the beauty of nature and the fine arts, I realized that there was nothing wrong with me for sharing that passion.  The dichotomy between believers who “get it” and those who “don’t” is not mine to resolve.  I can only follow God’s will for me to “be”. 

As we obey God’s command to consider those things which are pure and lovely, perhaps He will speak to some lost soul out there—someone like the person I was many decades ago:  fallen, floundering, yet grasping for that dream of a beautiful life—which God gave to me when He drew me to Himself!

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

“The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.”  Psalm 95:5  

November 10th marks the 36th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald in a horrific Lake Superior storm.  ”The Pride of the American Side” was carrying a maximum cargo of taconite pellets from Superior, Wisconsin to a mill near Detroit, when the storm destroyed the ship and its 29 crew members.

We in the Midwest clearly recall the 1975 tragedy because we live in the vicinity and culture of the Great Lakes.  But the event is also remembered nationwide, and perhaps even worldwide, due the power of narrative—especially narrative set to music:  in this case, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald composed and performed by Gordon Lightfoot.  The narrative and repetitious musical score is haunting, and it has become a modern pop classic.

Each year the Mariner’s Church in Detroit, Michigan holds a memorial service for the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  Until 2006 a bell was tolled for each of the 29 men who died.  Since 2006, the Mariner’s Church has enlarged the service to include an additional, inclusive bell toll for all who have died in the Great Lakes.  Also, the bell now rings once for each of the five Great Lakes, once for the St. Lawrence Seaway, once for the St. Clair and Detroit rivers and once for members of the military who have perished. 

The Mariner’s Church is served by Rev. Richard W. Ingalls Jr.—the son of the rector who first rang the bell in 1975 for the Edmund Fitzgerald crew.  In a memorial service, Rev. Ingalls Jr. addressed the line of Gordon Lightfoot’s narrative:  “Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”

“The love of God doesn’t go anywhere,” said Rev. Ingalls.  He went on to proclaim that the love of God always was, always is, and always shall be—no matter what! 

In my mind, going down in a shipwreck must be one of the most terrifying disasters imaginable.  In fact, I cannot imagine it!  It’s beyond comprehension!  How essentially comforting to belong to the Lord, to know that the love of God never changes— never goes anywhere, and always IS! 

Through fires, tornadoes, and yes even shipwrecks, the Lord holds His own in His loving arms.  We can trust that He’ll provide all the grace we’ll ever need, in any disaster!

“The sea is His, for He made it . . . .”

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”  Ephesians 1:7 NIV

Looking back over a lifetime, I’m overwhelmed!  Looking back a year, I’m overwhelmed.  Even looking back over the last couple of days, I am awash with the sense of God’s presence and His grace!  

Over the decades God’s grace has worked miracles in relationships, in circumstances, and in medical wonders—the most recent being a “whole new pair of eyes” for me via the simplest of all surgeries, the removal of cataracts and replacement of lenses in both eyes.  In times which are obviously “good”, and in crisis times of stress and concern, God’s grace abounds.  Our upcoming month of Thanksgiving underscores an ongoing lifestyle of thanksgiving enjoyed by any and all who understand the reality of God’s “Amazing Grace”!

Blessed with a large family, I share the reality of grace with numerous loved ones.  We laugh and cry, pray for each other, and rejoice in the fact that we are together in all of our joys and concerns.  Currently we are sharing the prayerful anticipation of two more family members:  1) a new baby girl, Mia, due in December and 2) a new son-in-law-to-be, Sammi, due momentarily to arrive from Nigeria.

In 2006, our daughter Martina embarked on a 4 year adventure of teaching at the American School in Abuja, Nigeria.  There she met Sanmi (pronounced “Sah-mi”—the ”n” is silent) and they eventually became engaged.  Now Martina has been back in the USA for over a year and she is teaching in Spring Green, Wisconsin.  In the fall of 2010, Martina and Sanmi began the long process of procuring a fiance’s visa for Sanmi so that he could come here to live.  The “powers that be” are thorough, and the process of obtaining a visa can be lengthy. 

Now Sanmi has his visa, and only a few business details remain before he can fly to Wisconsin where he and Martina will be married.  Both of these young people are in their mid 30s.  Neither one of them has been married before.  They have waited a long time for each other.

Needless to say, our family is tremendously eager to meet Sanmi.  Many of us have chatted with him on the phone, but if you have ever experienced a phone conversation to Nigeria you know how spotty and fragmented that connection can be!  Soon we’ll visit in person, and rejoice in the marriage of Martina and Sanmi (pictured below)!

And then we’ll all look forward to meeting the youngest member of our family—baby Mia.  Amazing grace! 

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

“A reproof enters more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool.” Proverbs 17:10

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend . . . .”  Proverbs 27:6

Like most people, I welcome words of encouragement and affirmation so long as they are devoid of flattery.  Yet looking back over my 40 years as a Christian, I realize I’ve especially thrived on words from older believers—words which were far from “affirming” in an obvious sense, words of correction or downright rebuke! 

I’ve often been tempted to denial, and prone to flirt with self-pity, concerning a rebuke which seemed “unfair”.  But the Spirit of God always manages to catch me and “stop me short”, as the saying goes. 

The Indwelling Lord Jesus speaks to my innermost self in my moments of denial and self pity, saying “Listen!  Contemplate the truth of the rebuke!  It was allowed for a reason—for your good and God’s glory!” 

Whether or not I thought I deserved the rebuke or correction, there was always a concrete reason for it which God has never let me ignore.  I can mature only inasmuch as I heed God’s message through a rebuke.

There have been times when I spoke unwisely, causing pain to another person.  Even if I had no intention of causing pain, misleading words were spoken—possibly reflecting a heart attitude of presumption or invasiveness on my part, which I may not have been sensitive enough to discern at the moment.  Over the years I’ve learned that words are precious, and potentially dangerous.  Those older, wiser souls who loved me enough to rebuke me taught me the infinite value of words. 

I’ve been rebuked for actions as well as words, always involving sins of self-centeredness and self-righteousness on my part.  Again, the “wounds of a friend” have been lifelines to me—and guidelines as well.  I’ve learned that anger is never appropriate in response to a rebuke.  Anger would separate me from communication with our Lord.  Anger is toxic.  It can only serve to harm others, as well as the one who is angry!

Whenever I’ve paused to contemplate the magnitude of my own sins, whether intended or simply unknowing, I’ve been reduced to a jelly.  Remorse and sorrow are the only valid Christian responses to God’s working a deeper life in us through the rebuke of others.  Remorse and sorrow are agents of reconcilliation with God, and with our fellow humans!  Remorse and sorrow throw us upon God’s mercy—and that’s precisely where every believer belongs!

Whether or not we actually intend an offense does not lessen its potential damaging effect.  Even if our heart attitude is innocent and our words or actions have been unfairly misconstrued, the words and actions stand as reminders that we’ve caused confusion and misunderstanding.  The impact of words and actions is not diminished by the motive or lack of motivation behind them.  What matters most is our sorrow for having caused the misunderstanding and pain, along with a desire to forgive and be forgiven.  Forgiveness is the core of the Christian Gospel and life! 

I’m eternally grateful for those faithful friends who have shown me the way of life, even through rebuke and correction! 

“He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.”  Proverbs 28:13

“Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it, not necessarily physically but in will.  Record it with ink or with blood.  The feeblest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is emancipated the second he acts; all the almighty power of God is on his behalf.”  Oswald Chambers, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST

Margaret L. Been, ©2011