Inspiration Blog

From #Blessed to #Screwed: Coping Strategies

By Annie Turner A sermon delivered January 25, 2026 at Haydenville Congregational Church We all know the scenario, we have been there before, right? We are jogging along, thinking things are pretty okay—well, not perfect but okay, all except for that ingrown toenail, the arthritis in our hands, and the dull, unexplained pain at the base…

Thank God For Today

Based on Luke 23:33-43, November 23, 2025 Rev. Mark Seifried @ Haydenville Congregational Church, UCC Previously, I’ve spoken to the congregation about my late partner’s cancer journey and my struggle with grief after his death. However, I haven’t shared details about the death itself. I’ll get to that in a few minutes. First, I should tell you when Gregor was diagnosed with…

The Safety of All of Us Is At Stake

By Rev. Mark Seifried How safe are you? I ask that question because I met with church volunteers last week and we talked about the fact that it’s not just immigrants who are unsafe in our community, it’s also transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming people who will likely lose their gender-affirming, life-saving health care if the Republican regime leading the federal government…

No time to give up Antidepressants

By Annie TurnerSermon delivered at Haydenville Congregational Church Feb. 23, 2025 How many of you remember the hilarious movie, “Airplane”? Where Lloyd Bridges, with his hair standing on end and looking crazed, said, “I sure picked the wrong week to give up glue-sniffing!” Or “I sure picked the wrong week to give up drinking!” So the title of my sermon comes from…

Hero In Me, In All of Us

Sermon delivered at Haydenville Congregational Church Oct. 20, 2024. Hi, my name is Carla Imperial, and I am an imposter. Introduction In September of 2001, Megan and I set out on a much-needed respite from our demanding work lives. We headed as far north as we could before reaching the Canadian border, to a remote lake in Vermont. Our cabin had no…