10 of those

And So to Bed…

Until infants entered the picture, my experience of sleep was one of quickly falling into it, staying there soundly, and waking each morning refreshed. Nursing an infant every two hours will create new sleep and prayer patterns. As Adrian Reynolds discusses in his book, And So To Bed…A Biblical View of Sleep (henceforth “To Bed”), not only is sleep spiritual, it speaks of spiritual realities and can be both hindered/enhanced by spiritual conditions. Comprised of merely six chapters with the final one essentially a reprint of the Puritan prayer “Sleep” from The Valley of Vision, my hearty recommendation is to skim the rest of this review and simply purchase the book for consumption. Reynolds is witty, engaging, and on target with his contemplation of sleep. While the biblical passages and general themes may not be new, To Bed pulls them all together with a fresh understanding of sleep’s importance. Out the gate, Reynold’s shows scientifically that sleep is good (Ch. 1), discusses that sleep is part of our, and Christ’s, humanity (Ch. 2), and unwraps sleep as a gift given by the Giver of all good things (Ch. 3). Chapter four is a fantastic picture of sleep as death: the Christian entering rest assuming the morning as they enter death, assuming resurrection. The final chapter, as previously stated, is a prayer with the penultimate chapter (Ch. 5) reviewing conditions (and potential cures) of sleeplessness. Well–written and applicable to all who sleep, Reynold’s short book is one heartily recommended!

Alaina Torrey