Sarah Lund: Silence in Teen and Child Mental Health

The Reverend Doctor Sarah Griffith Lund returns to Encountering Silence to talk about her latest book, Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence about Mental Health with Children and Teens. She is also the author of Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family and Church, Blessed Union: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness and Marriage, and the Blessed Youth Survival Guide.

Sarah Lund is an ordained minister and has served as pastor to churches in Brooklyn, NY, Minneapolis, MN, and New Smyrna Beach, FL. She holds degrees from Trinity University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Rutgers University, and McCormick Theological Seminary.

She is on the leadership team for Bethany Ecumenical Fellows, a mentoring program for young clergy, and serves as the Vice Chair for the United Church of Christ Mental Health Network. Dr. Lund received the Dell Award for Mental Health Education at the 30th General Synod of the UCC. She currently serves as a Vice President for Advancement at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN. You can get to know her better by reading her blog at www.sarahgriffithlund.com.

Through vivid and powerful storytelling, Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence about Mental Health with Children and Teens helps to remove the barriers of stigma and shame associated with mental illness in children and teens. Readers will discover they are not alone and be reminded of God's grace and loving presence in the midst of the heartache and struggle of mental illness. In addition to stories of children and youth experiencing mental health challenges, this book includes practical resources such as prayers and a guide for having age-appropriate talks with children about warning signs and how to get help for themselves and friends. Ultimately, this important resource offers hope and help for everyone who loves a child or youth with mental health challenges. The Blessed Youth Survival Guide is a pocket-size companion guide for youth.

Our society and our church is ableist. We have a preference for people who are able-bodied. And so when we view candidates for ministry who have a physical disability, we are biased, and we automatically think that they are not able. — Sarah Griffith Lund.

To listen to Sarah Griffith Lund's previous episodes on Encountering Silence, click here & here and here & here.

As a pastor I have started a monthly day of prayer where I go to a local retreat center and have a day of silence. I find that that’s really crucial for my own sense of grounding and creating space to discern and to listen to the spirit. — Sarah Griffith Lund

Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode:

Sarah Griffith Lund, Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence about Mental Health with Children and Teens
Sarah Griffith Lund, Blessed Youth Survival Guide
Sarah Griffith Lund, Blessed Union: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness and Marriage
Sarah Griffith Lund, Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family and Church
Michel Foucault, Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason
Nancy L. Eiesland, The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability
Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love
Richard Rohr, The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe
Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

Silence, in order for it to feel safe for a lot of us, needs to have a host — a person who holds that silence, and who is hosting our visit. — Sarah Griffith Lund

Episode 139: Silence, Mental Health, and Youth: A Conversation with Sarah Griffith Lund
Hosted by: Cassidy Hall
With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson
Guest: Sarah Griffith Lund
Date Recorded: March 14, 2022