The Wisdom of Sleep

'Humans only begin to appreciate the benefits of sleep once it becomes elusive. When sleep flees, the psalms about crying out to God in the night become relevant, and the essential role that sleep plays in the life of creatures comes into focus. In The Wisdom of Sleep, Brett McCracken provides great insight on this role from a theological, physiological, and doxological perspective. He not only demonstrates that the wise value sleep; he shows what our need for sleep tells us about our maker, the only wise God!' * Betsy Childs Howard, editor, The Gospel Coalition, author of God Gives Sleep *
'I am learning that the crux of sanctification is a willingness to lay down our arms. Everyone wants healthy habits, and most seek to love their neighbors, but only those captivated by Christ's love can understand that we are ultimately called to rest. This process has proven so difficult--or maybe it's just that I'm so obtuse--that I need to be reminded of it daily. In this book, Brett provides a compelling reason to remember that the life we dream about is possible if we only trust that God provides even while we sleep.' * Jairo Namnún, teaching pastor, Cornerstone Church of Santo Domingo *
'I bet you never thought about what sleep can teach you, both about yourself and about God. But the truth is, sleep is a gift from our Creator and a spiritual discipline for us. In this accessible book Brett McCracken takes us on this journey, offering wise reflections while always taking us back to our God who is the Lord of our sleep.' * Kelly M. Kapic, author of You’re Only Human, professor of Theology at Covenant College *
'In The Wisdom of Sleep, Brett McCracken has penned what is perhaps the most complete, illustrative, and inspiring exploration of sleep to date in the Christian world. Weaving together biblical and theological wisdom--with a knack for pastoral sensitivity and care--he has shown us the glorious joys of getting to worship the Creator of human rest and sleep. Indeed, God's people worship the Lord of the Sabbath. Until we learn this, we won't rightly enter the life of work God has called us to.' * A.J. Swoboda (Ph.D., University of Birmingham), associate professor of Bible and Theology at Bushnell University, pastor of Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon, and author of many books, including Subversive Sabbath *
'It is no small matter that when God revealed his top ten commands for humans to enjoy a covenantal relationship with their Creator, He included rest. As with the origins and fine-tuning of the universe, the human need for reverence and community, and so many other areas in which science is slowly catching up with age-old biblical insights, we find the blessing of sleep. A masterful blend of biblical exposition, the latest science, along with pastoral wisdom, art, pop culture, and practical liturgies for the reader to apply, Brett McCracken has done a great service to a weary church. McCracken's page-turning The Wisdom of Sleep is not a book that will put you to sleep. Yet is precisely the book that will put us to sleep in the best and most blessed way we all need.' * Dr. Thaddeus Williams, professor of Theology, Biola University, author of Revering God, Don’t Follow Your Heart, and Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth *
'Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.' Maybe it's been a long time since you heard that bedtime prayer, but The Wisdom of Sleep will remind you what a meaningful request it is, and what a gracious gift sleep is from our Creator. As usual, Brett McCracken's abilities to synthesize theology, biblical studies, intellectual history, philosophy, and the latest in sleep science is uncanny. But we, his readers, are the beneficiaries. Read it and sleep tight.' * Matthew J. Hall, provost, Biola University *
'Sometimes I've wondered why sleep is part of God's design for the world in which we live. My tendency is toward activity. I like to do things. Brett McCracken helped me see compelling reasons for valuing and embracing sleep and rest. Through the lens of scripture and science, this book is both informative and inspiring. It's another McCracken book filled with practical wisdom.' * Mark Vroegop, president of The Gospel Coalition and author of multiple books, including Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament *
'The Wisdom of Sleep is gracious gift for weary souls. With clarity, humility, and theological care, Brett McCracken helps us see sleep in a fresh way, not simply as a necessary pause from productivity but as a beautiful invitation to the freedom of limits and the comfort of trust. Brett lovingly reminds us that, 'Life is not a debt we must work to pay off. It's a gift to receive.' This is a much needed book for our overworked world.' * Jay Y. Kim, pastor and author *
'This book is so comforting to read! A wonderful exhortation to embrace your body's limits and receive God's gifts in rest.' * Justin Whitmel Earley, founder and CEO of Avodah Legal and author of The Body Teaches the Soul, Habits of the Household, and others *
'Unlike your fitness tracker, this book is not intent on guilt-tripping you about how much sleep you are (or are not) getting. But it will remind you how something so simple--something we do hopefully every day--can habituate us to a God of grace who bids our strivings cease each time we lay down our heads. In a frenetic age, we need now more than ever to renew our minds and bodies with the formative rhythms of rest McCracken holds out to us in these pages. Perhaps then we can offer more genuinely to a weary and watching world the hope we say we believe in: That because Christ's work is finished, we can rest in the midst of ours.' * Whitney K. Pipkin, journalist, author, and editor *