Baab, Lynne M.

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Baab, Lynne M.

PERSONAL: Married. Education: Attended Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA); University of Washington, Ph.D. candidate, completion expected in 2007.

ADDRESSES: Home—Seattle, WA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

CAREER: Association for Psychological Type, consultant, 1993–97; Bethany Presbyterian Church, Seattle, WA, associate pastor, 1997–2004.

WRITINGS:

Personality Type in Congregations: How to Work with Others More Effectively, Alban Institute (Bethesda, MD), 1998.

Embracing Midlife: Congregations as Support Systems, Alban Institute (Bethesda, MD), 1999.

A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife, InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 2002.

Beating Burnout in Congregations, Alban Institute (Bethesda, MD), 2003.

Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest, InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Presbyterian minister Lynne M. Baab has written several titles that deal with ministerial issues, including A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife and Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest. In the former, Baab looks at a common sentiment: the desire of middle-aged people to renew commitments to religious faith and give something back to the world. Although in Publishers Weekly a commentator noted that Baab's insights are not original and are sometimes "unsophisticated, she honestly and simply confronts the spirituality of midlife." Similarly, based on the personal experiences of Baab and her husband, Sabbath Keeping deals with another issue religious faithful face: how to keep Sunday a holy day in a society that is always on the go. According to Graham Christian in Library Journal, this is a "brief but heartfelt book on the advantages of Sabbath observance." As Baab explains in the text, "The frantic pace, the exhaustion that accompanies it and the resulting emptiness call us back to a rhythm that includes stopping and resting." Calling the work "winsome, passionate and persuasive," a Publishers Weekly contributor predicted that it "will convince many Christians of the continuing relevance of the Fourth Commandment."

Baab told CA: "Writing books is incredibly enriching for me. I always learn an incredible amount from the reading and interviews I do for each book and from the writing process itself. My faith in God is deepened, I am more committed to living a life of wholeness and love, and with each book I continue to grow in gratitude and awe for the creative process. I've seen through writing books that creativity requires both a spark of inspiration and a surprising amount of diligent and painstaking work. But the work is always worth the pain. The growth and life that has come to me from writing books is a great privilege."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Baab, Lynne M., Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest, InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 2005.

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, March 1, 2005, Graham Christian, review of Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest, p. 92.

Publishers Weekly, April 29, 2002, review of A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife, p. 63; December 20, 2004, review of Sabbath Keeping, p. 54.