Why We're Publishing "Blessed Hope"

I hope you have people like Sarah Griffith Lund and Chad Abbott in your lives.

Over the 15 years I’ve been blessed to work at Chalice Press, I’ve met hundreds of veteran and rookie authors. Each of them is unique and has an important message to share. Of those, Sarah’s message encouraging us to talk about mental health without stigma has been a core message of her books, beginning with Blessed are the Crazy in 2014. A congregational pastor in Indianapolis and the Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice of the United Church of Christ, Sarah is a constant source of encouragement, support, and above all, hope. A phone call with Sarah is always a good conversation.

Last summer, Sarah called with a new idea—and a new contributor. Chad is the conference minister for the UCC in Indiana and Kentucky. Together, they wanted to write a daily devotional that embodied that hopeful message for folks dealing with mental health issues or simply needing a good word to start their day. It was an easy decision: This was definitely a Chalice book.

That book, Blessed Hope: 90 Daily Devotions for Mental Health and Faith, launches today. In a bit of divine coincidence, today’s date of 9/8 aligns well with 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a vital resource for moments of crisis. We didn’t realize this until months after the launch date had been set, so we’re already enchanted by how such a serendipitous connection occurred.

Blessed Hope gathers 90 devotions, each focusing on a single sacred word such as laugh, quiet, release, or hope. A related verse of scripture and a story from Sarah or Chad takes what can be an abstract idea and helps readers wrap their heads around the concept. Each entry closes with a simple prayer to hold tight through the day’s challenges.

Each of us has days when hope is hard to find. Some experience them more often than others. Chad and Sarah understand this as they work their way through those 90 entries. We get a glimpse into stories of their past, their faith, and the creative concepts that inspire them when they need a mental booster shot. That relatability matters, especially when feelings like “nobody knows what this experience is like” crop up. The fact is, there are others who know that experience and will help you find your way through the fog and into a better place.

Sarah’s credentials are impeccable. This is her sixth book with Chalice Press. Blessed Youth Survival Guide, designed as an emergency resource for teens, has been a best-seller since its 2022 release. A study released that year found nearly 20 percent of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide last year. Almost 10 percent acted on those thoughts and attempted suicide. Statistically, it’s likely that Blessed Youth Survival Guide has saved lives. No endorsement, great media review, or five-star post on Amazon comes anywhere close to that kind of validation.