The Spiritual Significance of Sleep: Insights from a New Discipleship Guide
In a fresh perspective on spiritual growth, Sarah Guinness, a vicar from London, emphasizes the critical role of sleep in her new work, ‘The Alternative Guide to Discipleship’. This guide suggests that rest is not merely a physical need but a spiritual activity that fosters divine communication and healing.
Guinness asserts, “Sleep is not wasted time. It is an opportunity for God to seal our dreams, and to deposit things and ideas in our hearts and minds.” This notion underlines her belief that God actively participates in our lives during sleep, repairing and preparing us for new challenges.
Drawing from biblical examples, Guinness highlights how sleep has been a conduit for divine interaction. She references how Adam’s sleep led to the creation of Eve, Abram received God’s promises while resting, and Jesus found clarity after sleep to carry out significant actions.
In Mark 1, Jesus’ routine of sleeping and waking early to pray illustrates this divine interaction. According to Guinness, it seems that Jesus “goes to sleep, has a divine download and feels focused on his priorities.”
Guinness further explains that God’s communication through dreams is powerful, mentioning, “God, being God, can do far more in our sleeping than we can do in our waking. He uses dreams to get our attention.”
Sleep also serves as a time for physical and emotional restoration. The Hebrew word for dream, harlam, means to make whole or healthy, underscoring the healing potential of restful sleep.
Job 33 is cited to illustrate how God speaks to us during deep rest, whispering guidance and protection. “When we invite Jesus into our hearts and minds, and when we give him lordship over our lives and an ‘access all areas’ pass, then he uses our sleep to keep us on the narrow path of following him,” Guinness elaborates.
Expanding on biblical narratives, she notes how dreams and visions have played meaningful roles, from Jacob and Daniel’s experiences to Joseph’s dream-guided actions in Matthew’s gospel.
Guinness offers a profound reflection, “Sleep is a practice run for death, because one day we will fall asleep and wake up – not here, but in God’s loving arms.”
The significance of sleep is echoed by Christian doctor Richard Pile in his book ‘Fit for Purpose,’ where he depicts Jesus as prioritizing sleep, even during a storm on the Sea of Galilee, indicating its role in holistic health and wellbeing.
In her book, Guinness also explores themes beyond sleep, such as setting boundaries, embracing emotions, and surrendering outcomes, all contributing to spiritual growth. Her insights draw on her dual experiences as a parish priest and a former occupational therapist.
Rev Peter Crumpler is a Church of England minister in St Albans, Herts, UK, and a former communications director with the CofE.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
