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Spiritual diary of sheltering in place: The lifeline of God’s distant future

Lynne Baab • Wednesday May 27 2020

I have always loved the passages in the Bible where the whole creation is encouraged to praise God. Psalm 96:11-12 is one example:

“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD.”

If I were writing these words at this time, I would add something like “because you, beautiful creation, have become a lifeline for so many people during this pandemic. You reflect God’s creativity and beauty. You speak to us of timelessness and of...

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Spiritual diary of sheltering in place: The lifeline of nature

Lynne Baab • Thursday April 23 2020

Last week I was talking with a friend in New Zealand about the huge soothing power of nature in these strange days. Because the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing fall right now, she talked about the joy of trees with red and yellow leaves. I raved about the yellow and white tulips in our yard that we have been bringing inside to enjoy.

Our local newspaper had an article a few days ago entitled, “Here’s a mental health tip to get you through coronavirus quarantine: Find tranquility in nature.” The subhead of the paper edition said, “To get past this crisis, tap into...

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Important anniversaries in 2020: The first Earth Day in 1970

Lynne Baab • Friday March 6 2020

When I think of what has happened in the 50 years since the first Earth Day, I feel deep gratitude and profound grief. And when I think of this gorgeous fragile earth which reflects the beauty of its Creator, I also feel deep gratitude and profound grief.

I am grateful for Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring alerted the world to the dangers of synthetic pesticides. Silent Spring was one of the triggers for the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. I’m grateful that the first Earth Day was supported by both Democrats and Republicans, and more than 20 million...

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Creative prayer: trees

Lynne Baab • Friday July 19 2019

I was 15 the first time I saw a tree as a thing of beauty. Three trees, to be precise. We had just moved from Virginia to Tacoma, Washington, and our new house had three young birch trees in the back yard, planted close to each other. When the wind blew, they looked like three beautiful girls dancing. My heart always lifted when the wind tossed them into a dance.

For 17 years of my adult life, we lived in a house near Greenlake in Seattle with a huge Western red cedar in the front yard. I can’t tell you how many...

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