Asleep in the Church
December 17, 2023 4:50 PM
Liz Lau
2023-12-17
In this dream I was in a small church. It was a very traditional church setting with all wood furniture. A worship service was going on. I was standing up praying and could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The scene changed and I found myself sleeping on a church bench. The place had become dim during the service but I didn’t realize until later. I was now on a different bench that was comfortably padded and there were two pillows in homey pillowcases, as if saying it’s ok to go to sleep.
The pastor wanted to wake me up but didn’t want to put me on the spot, so he didn’t say anything. The only time he came over was to hand me a hymn booklet. It was my own snoring that embarrassed me enough to want to get up, but I was too sleepy and gave up after a few tries.
After a while I woke up (still in the dream). It was then that I suddenly realized that the place had grown dark. It was so dark I could barely see, let alone read the Bible or sing from a hymn book. Then I remembered when I last saw the pastor, he had entered through the side door. It dawned on me that the service was over and everyone was gone. I was left there all alone in the dark.
At first I thought the dream was about me not staying alert, but it could also be about the overall state of the church. In that case, the early church was alert and worshipped in spirit and in truth, and the Holy Spirit was with them. But since then the light was gradually removed and more and more compromises made to cater to sins and fleshly desires. People are lured to sleep not even knowing they need to repent and turn away from sins. The church is now largely sluggish and asleep, unaware of the deepening darkness around them. There are pastors who may want to do the right thing but they render themselves powerless and ineffective by self-censorship. They really need to think twice because it’s souls that are at stake here. You wouldn’t want to leave anyone in the dark simply because you don’t want to embarrass or offend them.
This dream reminds me of Isaiah 6:9-11. It says those who have ears but don’t understand, and have eyes but don’t perceive, will remain so until cities are without people and the land is utterly desolate. In other words, they will finally wake up when it gets to that point. In the dream I woke up after everyone was gone and it was all dark.
By the way, in Matthew 13:15, Jesus quoted Isaiah 6:10 from the Septuagint (LXX): “For the heart of this people has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” (Brenton Septuagint Translation)
We have all encountered people who don’t want to listen and whose eyes glaze over when they see something they don’t want to deal with because it would discredit their own belief system. They gamble with their own soul in their pride. I pray that the Lord soften their hearts and melt away their pride and stubbornness, and draw them to Jesus, and that all who consider themselves Christian truly come to know Him and be known by Him, and to walk humbly with Him.
Photos courtesy Depositphotos
