Lynne Baab • Tuesday September 17 2024
Sturdy, spreading oak trees. Tall evergreens. Lacy Japanese maples with hints of red and orange. Drooping flowering cherries. Spiky palms. Hillsides covered with deep green trees. An individual tree in winter, bare branches dusted with snow.
Creator God, we praise you for trees. We remember moments when trees have lifted our hearts. We also think of wood studs and joists that provide form for our dwellings, and we thank you for the beauty and utility of trees.
Oil slicks on puddles, and oil leaks into rivers and lakes. The residue left by car tires, washed by rain into streams and rivers, damaging salmon...
Read full article »Lynne Baab • Tuesday September 10 2024
I have been thinking a lot about sadness. My family moved 12 times in my first 15 years, and my mom was sad about the moves and affirmed my sadness as valid. Other than that, sadness was always viewed as a failure of thankfulness. I was supposed to be thankful that I wasn’t poor like my mom was in her childhood and teen years. Grateful that I had nice clothes like she didn’t have. Thankful that we could go on nice vacations like she never got to do. Grateful that I didn’t have to do farm work many hours a day...
Read full article »Lynne Baab • Tuesday September 3 2024
When I was six, I begged and pleaded for piano lessons. I have no idea where that desire came from. At seven, my Mom agreed I could start lessons, and I continued for many years. In the 70s and 80s, I accompanied hymns and praise songs at church and conferences, but gradually, my piano playing became a private joy. I still play hymns and praise songs, and they help me pray. I can totally get on board with September being National Piano Month. I’m trying to play the piano more often in September to celebrate this cool holiday I just learned...
Read full article »Lynne Baab • Tuesday August 27 2024
Just over 30 years ago, I served as a pastoral intern at a Presbyterian church. For the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, the pastor wanted to get away with his family so he asked me to preach. (For my friends in other countries, Labor Day in the United States is a national holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September. This year, it is September 2.)
As I pondered the sermon, I kept getting a mental picture of a big mural of individuals doing joyful work, including industry, farming, homemaking, parenting, Christian ministry, and many forms of serving and caregiving. All the...
Read full article »Lynne Baab • Wednesday January 22 2025
By Lynne M. Baab, author of Two Hands: Grief and Gratitude in the Christian LifeLynne Baab • Friday August 11 2023
By Lynne M. BaabLynne Baab • Saturday October 9 2021
By Lynne M. Baab. Originally published in Christianity Today, July 8, 2021
Lynne M. Baab, Ph.D., is an author and adjunct professor. She has written numerous books, Bible study guides, and articles for magazines and journals. Lynne is passionate about prayer and other ways to draw near to God, and her writing conveys encouragement for readers to be their authentic selves before God. She encourages experimentation and lightness in Christian spiritual practices. Read more »
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