Day 18: Mar. 25

Verse

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Voice

As human beings, it is natural for us to feel anxious at times. But we can choose to nourish ourselves with the antidote for anxiety and allow ourselves some freedom from the worry for a while. The more we practice this, the more we start to trust this possibility of being made new.

We reclaim the Sabbath by making a commitment to rest and to lay aside work and worry. By giving ourselves the gift of moments that are truly restorative—some time spent in silence, a beautiful meal shared with a friend, a long walk in a beautiful place, a nap. – Christine Valters Paintner

Pray

Lord God, cleanse our spirits of anxiety, worry, and insecurity.
Embolden us to live in the lifegiving ways you lead us.
To rest, to breathe, to experience silence, and the mundane.
To make bread and break bread.
For in you, our hungers are met and we are made new. Amen.

Reflect

As part of your Lenten practice, we invite you to fast from anxiety and the endless torrent of thoughts that rise up in your mind to paralyze you with fear of the future.

“Rest in your God-breathed worth.
Stop holding your breath, hiding your gifts,
ducking your head, dulling your roar,
distracting your soul, stilling your hands,
quieting your voice, and satiating your hunger
with the lesser things of this world.”
– Sarah Bessey