Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
Week 10: Chapter 9 — Sleeping: Surrender and Trust in the Dark
Read Chapter 9 of Liturgy of the Ordinary. Key passages: Psalm 4:8; Psalm 127:2.
Previewing Week 10 of Liturgy of the Ordinary
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
Every night we do something that requires more faith than we usually admit — we stop being conscious and trust that the world will still be there in the morning.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Warren frames sleep as a daily act of surrender — a giving up of control that the body demands and the soul often resists. What are the theological dimensions she finds in this most physical of necessities?
2.She connects the practice of Compline — the ancient night prayer of the church — to the act of going to sleep. What does Compline say, and what posture does it create? What would it change about your nights if they ended in that kind of prayer rather than in a screen?
3.Warren writes honestly about the way nighttime can be when anxiety surfaces — when the worries we managed during the day catch up with us in the dark. Psalm 4:8 says 'I will lie down and sleep in peace.' What does it take to actually believe that verse on a sleepless night?
a.What kinds of things typically keep you from restful sleep? Are they more circumstantial or more a matter of inner formation?
b.What practices might create a more prayerful transition toward sleep?