Lynne Baab • Thursday August 21 2014
The church in Seattle where I served as associate pastor from 1997 to 2004, Bethany Presbyterian, has asked members of the church community to write psalms, so I decided to write one. I’m posting it here, along with some reflection/journaling questions.
Psalm for 2014 by Lynne Baab
Loving God, we’re tired:
worn out from multitasking,
frustrated by new software and apps,
and overloaded with stimulation.
We wonder how to nurture friendships
in a Facebook age
and how to love
new Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim neighbors.
God, our Creator and Redeemer,
be the still point in the turning world.
Guide us into your paths
and help us embrace the challenges
set before us,
relying on your grace and power
and looking to our brothers and sisters in Christ
for companionship and support.
God our help and our joy,
put your song on our lips
and your love in our hearts.
Reflection/Journaling Questions:
Are you tired these days? What contributes to your fatigue? What helps you find energy?
What helps you experience God as the still point in the turning world?
What helps you rely on God’s grace and power?
In what settings are you likely to have God’s song on your lips and God’s love in your heart?
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Lynne M. Baab, Ph.D., is a teacher and writer. She has written numerous books and Bible study guides. Lynne lives in Seattle, and you can contact her at LMBaab [at] aol [dot] com. Read more »
Lynne is pleased to announce the release of her book on midlife, A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife, for kindle. Her 2018 book is Nurturing Hope: Christian Pastoral Care for the Twenty-First Century, and her best-selling book is Sabbath-Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest. You can see her many other book titles here, along with her Bible study guides.
Lynne was interviewed recently for the podcast "As the Crow Flies". The first episode focuses on why listening matters and the second one on listening skills.
A few years ago, Lynne spoke at a conference for preachers and others in ministry on "Spiritual Practices for Preachers" (recorded as a video on YouTube). The talk is relevant to anyone in ministry and focuses on how to draw near to God simply as a child of God as well as engaging in spiritual practices for the sake of ministry.
Here are two talks Lynne gave on listening (recorded in audio form on YouTube): Listening for Mission and Ministry and Why Listening Matters for Mission and Ministry.
Here's a sermony by Lynne on Reverent Submission, where she tries to reclaim the word "submission," which has a bad rap in our time.
"Lynne's writing is beautiful. Her tone has such a note of hope and excitement about growth. It is gentle and affirming."
— a reader
"Dear Dr. Baab, You changed my life. It is only through God’s gift of the sabbath that I feel in my heart and soul that God loves me apart from anything I do."
— a reader of Sabbath Keeping
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