Life’s Liturgy
Your normal life, if you’re like the vast majority of people, has a liturgy. By this, I mean there are rhythms and patterns that structure your daily living—these undercurrents help us to live orderly, productive lives in which we can leverage our time and efforts for the glory of God; however, when life’s liturgy is interrupted, our flesh rages within us, singing out promises of comfort and stability in its siren song. The joy, comfort, and peace that the flesh promises always ends in death—either through the sinner’s condemnation or Christ’s sacrificial death that redeems it.
Rabbit Trail: Biphasic Sleep
Lately I’ve been struggling to get consistent sleep. Normally, I get a solid six to eight hours, but the last few weeks I’ve struggled to find the groove I normally fall into. I’ve heard that nothing good happens after midnight, and I tend to agree—unless you’re a uniquely disciplined person who can be productive in the wee hours of the morning, your time would be better spent in prayer than through doom-scrolling (admittedly, I am guilty of the latter).
Recently, in my fitful sleeplessness, I ran across something I had never heard of: Biphasic, or, Segmented Sleep. This rhythm of sleep fell out of practice as industrialization had its way with the world, but I think it is something that we could reclaim to enhance peace and productivity.
Here is a brief overview of Biphasic Sleep, generated by ChatGPT:
Biphasic sleep is a natural sleep pattern consisting of two distinct periods of sleep—typically separated by 1–2 hours of wakefulness during the night.
History:
Before artificial lighting, biphasic sleep was common across many cultures, including medieval Europe and likely Viking societies. Historical texts refer to a "first sleep" and "second sleep," with the waking period used for quiet tasks, reflection, or prayer.
Benefits:
Aligns with natural circadian rhythms
Enhances memory consolidation
Encourages peaceful, low-stress nighttime wakefulness
Can improve sleep quality and mental clarity
It's a pattern that honors both the body’s design and the soul’s need for reflection.
Like everything in life, you should be a Berean: don’t just take my word for it—do some research on this if it piques your interest. I have seven kids and a house that is almost never quiet, so to have an hour or two to work in the quiet and stillness of nighttime doesn’t sound too bad. That being said, to work in the way many of us are used to would violate the spirit of Biphasic sleep, as one of its main purposes was to do things that you could do in the dark—this means no screens. I wouldn’t be opposed to reading by candlelight, per se, but the idea of using a phone or computer, I suspect, violates the natural benefits of this sleep pattern.
Even our sleep patterns bear witness to the broken liturgies of society—and recovering older rhythms may be one small way to fight back. Or, if this sounds a little too extreme, implement undercurrents like avoiding screens before bed and having a consistent time you retire to your bed to strengthen your liturgy.
Spiritual Warfare in Daily Liturgy
Interruptions to liturgy, as stated previously, make it easier for us to fall into the temptation to respond sinfully to inconveniences—whether big or small—that interfere with our day. I think we can easily forget in the day-to-day grind that our normal, daily living is Spiritual Warfare. Let me explain:
Every sphere of your life is a battlefield that is meant to be consecrated unto Christ. The analogy I like best for this is to compare these spheres to a garden.
At the center of who you are is your heart—it is the fount from which every desire, thought, word, and deed flows. The heart is complex, but we see in Scripture that we can calibrate it according to God’s promises (I think of David in the Psalms when he is crying out to his soul, questioning why it is downcast within him, before he urges himself to hope in God).
Tending the Gardens of Your Life
If your heart is a garden, how are you tending it? Are you a good gardener who is careful to make sure it is being ordered after the word of God, and that the soil and vegetation is flourishing in gospel hope and nearness to God? Or are you a careless gardener who has ushered in death through neglect, as you chase other pursuits?
The heart is the most personal garden each Image-bearer must tend—but it’s not the only one. They also must labor in the gardens of their home, their church, their community, and maybe even into the uttermost.
Being a good gardener is spiritual warfare. When your heart is beating in-sync with the Word of God and you are operating in the power of the Spirit of God, your living will reflect it; inversely, if you are not, your life will reflect it. It is pretty easy to respond kindly to your child who has spilled their cup for the fourth time in three days when you have cultivated the garden of your heart well, and, if you do, it will teach your child that they ought not to get flustered over the small stuff—even if it happens often. This is a victory for the Kingdom, as you disciple your child in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Inversely, if you are not calibrated to Christ and you respond harshly, you have taught your child that they should respond in like manner when someone they see as a subordinate messes up or inconveniences them—this is destructive to the sanctification of the child and feeds into their flesh. We need to view these micro-battles as vital to the success of our efforts with our families.
This extends outside the home and into the church and our communities, too. If our churches and communities are made up of immature Christians who outwardly are only seeking their own interests (this is oxymoronic, I know), then we will never walk in the unity and power of Christ and his victory. Not everyone will be a missionary and go out beyond their community and into the uttermost, but these things apply there as well.
Christ Reigns—Let Your Rhythms Proclaim It
The majority of Christians will not be involved in epic debates that will shape Christendom for years to come; rather, most of us are normal people who have a small but significant sphere of influence that we must work in to influence for Christ. We would do well to understand that every decision we make is a decision that must be made for Christ, and that it is our spiritual warfare to live this way.
Are you a good gardener? Do you have a strong, deep liturgy that prioritizes your relationship with God and that defines and dictates how every other aspect of your life is governed? If not, isn’t it time you did? Even neglected gardens can be restored.
Labor in holy habits. Recalibrate your rhythms. Order your heart. Christ reigns now: let your rhythms proclaim it.