Home & Blog | Lynne Baab

Praying about the flow of time: Labor Day

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 »

Praying about the flow of time: Ordinary witnesses

Lynne Baab • Tuesday August 20 2024

As I discussed last week, evangelism and discipleship are two of the themes of Ordinary Time, the current season of the church year. I’m on board with discipleship, and I enjoy thinking and writing about how to grow closer to Jesus. But even after 50 years of walking with Jesus, the word “evangelism” arouses feelings of guilt and pressure. If you’re like me, keep reading.

Thirty years ago, a friend served on a jury. When she told me about her experience, I had a light bulb moment about my call to be a Christian witness.

My friend said the judge gave the witnesses...

Read full article »

Praying about the flow of time: Why I like the idea of “Ordinary Time”

Lynne Baab • Thursday August 15 2024

When I was 9 through 11, my dad was stationed at the Air Force base in Wiesbaden, Germany. We attended a charming 1865 Anglican church in downtown Wiesbaden. The kids stayed in church for about half the service.

We usually arrived five to ten minutes before the service started, and I enjoyed listening to the organ prelude. The reader board at the front of the church always drew my attention. It listed the three hymns we would sing in the service. At the top of the board was the name of that particular Sunday of the church year: Advent 3 (third Sunday...

Read full article »

Praying about the flow of time: “Listen to Jesus”

Lynne Baab • Tuesday August 6 2024

Who doesn’t love a lighthouse? Such a powerful symbol of so many significant themes: safety and security, a light in the darkness, a warning of dangerous rocks, and a guide to find our way home. August 7 is National Lighthouse Day. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use one of my husband Dave’s many lighthouse paintings. I wanted to write a whole post on the power of the image of Christ as the lighthouse for our lives.

But I wanted to write about the Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, even more. When I started planning this new series on the...

Read full article »

<< Newer | Older >>