Book Club Questions for Rhythms of Renewal

1.Rebekah opens with the striking claim that we are in the throes of a 'collective panic attack' — that 77% of the population experiences physical symptoms of stress regularly. Did that statistic surprise you? How do you see this reality playing out in your own community, workplace, or home?

2.She describes anxiety as a 'low hum' that many of us have simply learned to live with. What does your personal version of that low hum feel like — physically, emotionally, spiritually?

3.Rebekah is transparent from the start that her own journey into anxiety was the very thing that led her to discover these rhythms. Why do you think personal vulnerability from an author matters? Does knowing she has 'been there' make you more or less inclined to trust her guidance?

1.Rebekah connects chronic sleep deprivation directly to heightened anxiety. Before reading this chapter, did you think of sleep as a spiritual discipline or simply a biological necessity? Has your thinking shifted?

2.She points to Psalm 127:2 — 'He grants sleep to those he loves' — as evidence that rest is a gift from God, not a reward for finishing our to-do list. What does it reveal about your theology if you consistently sacrifice sleep to be more productive?

3.Rebekah is honest that learning to sleep well required her to address the anxious thoughts that came flooding in at night. What tends to invade your mind when you finally lie still? What does the content of those thoughts tell you about what you are trusting in?

1.Rebekah draws on the example of Jesus, who regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray (Mark 1:35) even in the midst of enormous ministry demand. What does it say about Jesus's rhythm — and about ours — that he made solitude a non-negotiable rather than an occasional treat?

2.She distinguishes between being alone (a circumstance) and practicing solitude (a discipline). In your experience, have you ever been physically alone but not truly in solitude — still mentally scrolling, planning, or performing? What makes the difference?

3.Rebekah describes the discomfort that often comes when we first enter silence — the way unprocessed emotions and fears rise to the surface. Have you experienced this? What did you do with those feelings when they surfaced?

1.Rebekah argues that many of us have been taught — in church and in culture — to suppress or spiritualize our emotions rather than process them honestly. Did you grow up with permission to feel your feelings? How has that shaped your emotional health as an adult?

2.She introduces the idea of 'leading with vulnerability' — the practice of naming your emotional state to safe people rather than masking it. How does vulnerability feel to you: threatening, freeing, or both? When was the last time you were truly honest about how you were doing?

3.Rebekah writes about the danger of a 'numbing' response to pain — turning to food, screens, busyness, or other escapes when hard emotions arise. What are your most common numbing strategies, and what would it look like to choose a different response?

1.Rebekah draws a clear link between physical habits — particularly exercise — and the reduction of anxiety symptoms. Were you aware of the science behind this connection before reading this chapter? How does knowing that movement is literally medicine change how you think about physical activity?

2.She is candid about her own resistance to and eventual embrace of exercise as part of her restoration journey. What has your relationship with physical activity looked like? What has made it hard to sustain?

3.1 Corinthians 6:19–20 tells us our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought at a price. Does that truth feel motivating or burdensome to you? What would it look like to care for your body out of gratitude rather than guilt or appearance?

1.Rebekah argues that our minds are constantly being formed — by what we read, watch, scroll, and listen to — whether we are intentional about it or not. Does that idea feel alarming, convicting, or both? What has been forming your mind most in the past month?

2.She draws on Romans 12:2's call to be 'transformed by the renewing of your mind' and connects it to the practical daily choices we make about our information diet. What would a 'renewed mind' look like in your specific life — in the thoughts you wake up with, the conversations you have, the content you consume?

3.Rebekah challenges the habit of doomscrolling and constant news consumption as a primary driver of collective anxiety. Be honest: how much time do you spend consuming news and social media daily, and how do you feel afterward? What would change if you cut that in half?

1.Rebekah frames our connection with God not as a religious obligation but as the root from which everything else in our lives either flourishes or withers (John 15:4–5). How does that imagery — vine and branch — change the way you think about prayer, Scripture, and worship?

2.She is honest that her own prayer life has gone through seasons of vibrance and seasons of dryness. Which season are you in right now? What has contributed to that reality?

3.Rebekah emphasizes the importance of Scripture reading as a daily rhythm — not just occasional Bible study but consistent, quiet engagement with God's Word. What is your current practice? What has helped or hindered you from making it consistent?

1.Rebekah opens with the epidemic of loneliness — that despite being more 'connected' than any generation in history, we are profoundly isolated. Does that diagnosis match your experience? How many people in your life truly know you?

2.She identifies vulnerability as the currency of true connection — that we only build deep relationships when we risk being known. Think of the deepest friendship or community you've experienced. What made it that way? What risks were taken to get there?

3.Rebekah discusses the particular challenge of building community after major life transitions — a move, a new season, a loss. Have you experienced that kind of relational rebuilding? What did you learn about yourself in the process?

1.Rebekah argues that anxiety tends to curve us inward — making ourselves the center of our own story — and that service is one of the most effective tools for breaking that cycle. Have you experienced the mood-lifting effect of doing something for someone else? What happened in you when you served?

2.She draws on Jesus's words in Mark 10:43–45 — that greatness in God's kingdom looks like becoming a servant — to reframe service not as self-sacrifice but as self-discovery. What does it mean to you that servanthood is not about losing yourself but finding yourself?

3.Rebekah connects service to our specific gifting — arguing that we serve most sustainably and joyfully when we serve out of who we actually are. What are your gifts, and are you currently using them for others? If not, what's getting in the way?

1.Rebekah grounds creativity in the opening words of Genesis: 'In the beginning, God created.' She argues that because we are made in the image of a Creator God, we are all creators by nature. Does that frame creativity differently for you than you've thought of it before? Does it feel liberating or intimidating?

2.She makes the distinction that creativity is not reserved for artists and musicians — that it shows up in cooking, problem-solving, building, writing, teaching, parenting, and countless other forms. What are the ways you create that you may not have previously labeled as creativity?

3.Rebekah argues that the act of making something brings a specific joy and sense of purpose that consuming never can. Think of the last time you made something — a meal, a conversation, a solution, a project. What did it feel like when it was finished?

1.Rebekah argues that a life without a sense of purpose is fertile ground for anxiety — and that one of the deepest cures for chronic worry is having something meaningful to pour yourself into. Do you agree? Where do you currently find your sense of purpose?

2.She draws on 1 Peter 4:10 — 'Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others' — to argue that purpose is inseparable from our unique gifting and from community. What do you believe your gifts are? Are you using them? What might be holding you back?

3.Rebekah identifies the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs as the sweet spot of purpose. Take a moment with each part of that triangle:

1.Rebekah ends with the honest acknowledgment that these rhythms require ongoing practice — that we will fall out of them and need to return. How does knowing that this is a lifelong journey (rather than a six-week program) affect your expectations for yourself?

2.She invites readers to identify which rhythm is most urgently needed in their current season. Looking at rest, restore, connect, and create — which one have you been most neglecting, and what has that cost you?

3.Rebekah returns to her own story in the conclusion — tracing the arc from panic attacks in New York City to a life of intentional rhythm. What part of her story has most resonated with you, and why?

1.Which of the four rhythms — rest, restore, connect, or create — has made the greatest difference in your daily life since you began this study? What changed, even in a small way?

2.Is there a chapter, story, or quote from Rhythms of Renewal that has stayed with you — that you've found yourself returning to or sharing with others? What was it, and why did it land so powerfully?

3.Looking back at your answer to the very first week's question — 'What hope are you bringing to this study?' — how would you answer that question now? What has changed in your understanding of anxiety, rest, and renewal?