Friendship, Listening, and Empathy: A Prayer GuideDraw Near: A Lenten Devotional Two Hands: Grief and Gratitude in the Christian LifeSabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest Fasting: Spiritual Freedom Beyond our AppetitesA Renewed SpiritualityNurturing Hope: Christian Pastoral Care in the Twenty-First CenturyThe Power of ListeningJoy Together: Spiritual Practices for Your CongregationPrayers of the New TestamentPrayers of the Old TestamentPersonality Type in CongregationsSabbathA Garden of Living Water: Stories of Self-Discovery and Spiritual GrowthDead Sea: A NovelDeadly Murmurs: A NovelDeath in Dunedin: A NovelBeating Burnout in CongregationsReaching Out in a Networked WorldEmbracing MidlifeFriendingAdvent Devotional

Praying about the flow of time: Freedom from the fear of death

Lynne Baab • Tuesday April 1 2025

Praying about the flow of time: Freedom from the fear of death

On Valentine’s Day, 1994, I got the flu. Two days later, I couldn’t breathe. A long diagnostic process followed. At some point, the lung specialist described to me the possible diagnoses, one of which was fatal. He had put me on a cute little oxygen tank, but my brain still wasn’t getting enough oxygen to think clearly. I misunderstood him. I thought he said the fatal lung disease was by far the most likely diagnosis.

It was a week before my next appointment with him, so I spent a week thinking I was going to die. It was an illuminating week as...

Read full article »

Matthew 14: God’s peace in turbulent seas and heavy winds

Lynne Baab • Thursday October 1 2020

Matthew 14: God’s peace in turbulent seas and heavy winds

I’m going to give you a series of words and phrases. Think about the ways these words resonate for you.

Battered by the waves . . . the wind was against them . . . terrified . . . cried out in fear . . . noticed the strong wind . . . became frightened . . . beginning to sink.

You may have guessed that those words come from the story of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee on a windy morning. After the feeding of the five thousand, which had to be intense and exhausting, Jesus sends the disciples across...

Read full article »

Spiritual diary of sheltering in place: The lifeline of separating thoughts from feelings

Lynne Baab • Thursday May 7 2020

Spiritual diary of sheltering in place: The lifeline of separating thoughts from feelings

In January, 2015, my husband Dave had a bout of bronchitis that he never really recovered from. By June, he had seen a lung specialist and gotten a diagnosis. By September, he had a different diagnosis and a horrific drug that he endured for three months. Afterwards, his energy was still low, his lungs still hurt, and he just plain didn’t feel well.

In early 2016, my spiritual director referred me to a therapist to help me cope with the roiling emotions and thoughts I was dealing with. I had lost the energetic, caring husband I’d known for almost 40 years. I...

Read full article »

How I changed my perspective about autumn

Lynne Baab • Thursday October 24 2019

How I changed my perspective about autumn

It took me two or three decades of Seattle winters before I started hating them. That’s pretty good, I figure.

People think it rains all the time in Seattle, but actually our rain is concentrated in the winter. Seattle averages 38 inches of rain per year, and 21 of those inches come in four months, November through February. Early November, of course, is when we go off daylight savings time, so November is a double whammy. The rain suddenly increases and the days suddenly end much earlier. Seattle winters are dark and wet, not just wet.

When I started disliking winter, I found...

Read full article »
<< Newer | Older >>

Featured books

Friendship, Listening, and Empathy: A Prayer Guide Friendship, Listening, and Empathy: A Prayer Guide Lynne draws on her Ph.D. studies in communication to bring insight about listening and empathy so that we can pray more deeply. Each of the 28 short chapters is illustrated with a beautiful watercolor by Dave Baab. Buy online » Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest Sabbath Keeping is Lynne's most popular book, available in paperback, audiobook, and for Kindle. Grounded in her 18 months living in Israel, it is practical, biblical, and reflective about why rest matters so much today. Buy online »

Featured articles

Meeting God in Grief and Gratitude

Lynne Baab • Wednesday January 22 2025

By Lynne M. Baab, author of Two Hands: Grief and Gratitude in the Christian Life

Nurturing a contemplative stance for navigating challenging times

Lynne Baab • Friday August 11 2023

By Lynne M. Baab

Yes, Jesus Told Us to Pray in Secret. But He Also Prayed with His Friends.

Lynne Baab • Saturday October 9 2021

By Lynne M. Baab. Originally published in Christianity Today, July 8, 2021