Order “All Who Are Weary” Now
We live in an age uniquely attentive to the problem of mental illness. More than half of us will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in our lifetime. It has been easy, for centuries, to relegate persistent emotional and mental struggles entirely to the realm of a failed personal work ethic (“Just don’t worry so much!”), not enough faith (“Just pray harder!”), or, in recent years, a chemical imbalance in our brains (“Just take this pill!”). Yet, for those of us who live with mental illness, none of these suggestions provides the quick relief it promises, and the continued struggle takes its toll on our already burdened hearts and minds.
In All Who Are Weary, Emmy Kegler joins the reader on the long walk of reflection, understanding, and compassion, calling followers of Jesus back to ancient practices of lament, vulnerability, honesty, community, and hope. This book is not a map to a cure, nor a perfectly restorative prayer. Written with a wide community in mind — patients, but also parents and partners, coworkers and friends, pastors and therapists, and the whole church — All Who Are Weary points to the embodied grace known in Jesus, trusting in the promise of a lighter load for all.
Listen to Emmy read an excerpt of All Who Are Weary for her podcast Cafeteria Christian:
Is your book group reading All Who Are Weary? Want to start a conversation about mental illness in your church? Invite Emmy to join you for a chat! Zoom meetings are possible for groups all around the world; in-person events are also an option for Twin Cities communities.
“The church, she suggests, has misunderstood and mistreated mental illness, while derision of conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia litter modern conversations, which fuels a sense of shame for those needing assistance. Helping others to walk their own paths toward mental health recovery, Kegler caps each chapter with questions for the reader to ponder—without judgment—as well as suggested further reading, along with healing, normalizing analogies… While encouraging readers to continue their prayer practices, Kegler also gives them permission to seek pharmacological interventions and talk therapy. Kegler offers impassioned salvation to fellow Christians who have struggled with mental health; this book could in fact save lives.” – Publishers Weekly
Insta Live Launch
In November 2021, I asked a bunch of friends if they’d hang out with me on Insta Live for 15-ish minutes and talk about #AllWhoAreWeary and their own work and whatever else we wanted. And they said yes! Check out the archived Insta Lives:
Round 1: Rev. Elle Dowd – Lyz Lenz – Emily Joy – Rev. Eric Atcheson – Jamie Bruesehoff – Kevin Garcia – Kayla Felten
Round 2: Rev. Melissa Florer-Bixler – Stephanie Tait – Matthias Roberts – Candice Czubernat