Category: Chaplain

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.

Psalm 29:11

I hope you are having a very productive spring season getting your vegetable and flower plants ready for planting. I, also, hope that any frost that is going around the state hasn’t affected you in any way.

As it is the month of May, we, as Grangers, ready ourselves and our meetings for memorials. Memorials for loved ones and those service men and women who have passed on to the “Great Grange above.”

It is fitting that we remember loved ones, and members of the armed forces, but instead of just remembering the military in one group, may I suggest that you include four newly commissioned Lieutenants in the army who gave their lives so that many would live.

 They are known as the “Four Chaplains,” and they died on February 3, 1943, when the USAT Dorchester was torpedoed carrying troops to Europe during World War II. As the ship was sinking, and the troops were getting to the lifeboats, these chaplains (1-Rabbi, 2-Protestant ministers, 1-Priest) were passing out life preservers. When the preservers ran out, they gave up their life preservers to the next four men in line.

Survivors said later that they witnessed the four chaplains on the deck, arms linked, feet braced against the deck, praying and offering encouragement to those men in the lifeboats.

During this time of remembrance in your Grange and in your personal life, please remember the heroism and selflessness of these four men of God. Also, remember that they were of different faiths “working” for the same God. If we choose to emulate these four chaplains, what a difference we could make in the little world around us.

Remember, God loves us all!!

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Father, please don’t help us get over it; help them get through it.  Amen.”

Thought for the month: May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

An Irish Blessing for Health and Prosperity

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

John 3:16-18

Another month has come and gone along with the blistering cold weather of winter (we hope!). We look forward to April and the warmer weather that Spring brings. We should, also, be looking forward to Easter, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

In last month’s column, I mentioned that God had a plan for Jesus (and us!), and that it is a wonderful plan. This month we have a chance to “witness” this remarkable plan, the resurrection of Jesus.

The resurrection is only part of the story! We must not forget the amount of suffering Jesus went through, the abandonment by His friends, the denial, the “trial”, and finally, the crucifixion.

 Not only did Jesus suffer on the cross, but His friends suffered, also. In spite of all that He went through; the pain, and humiliation, He did not condemn His accusers and abusers, but instead, He asked forgiveness from the Father, stating, “They know not what they do.”

We should take a page from that “book”. Forgive those who persecute, and ridicule us; for they do not know what they do. If they ridicule us, they do not really know us. Forgive them as Jesus did.

Remember, God loves us all!!

Happy Easter, and happy Spring!

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, help us to remember the teachings of Jesus, especially when He was on the cross. Help us to forgive. Amen.”

Thought for the month:
May your neighbors respect you, troubles neglect you, the angels protect you, and Heaven accept you.

An Irish Blessing for Health and Prosperity

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 

I Peter 1:3

“And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.” 

Luke 24:5-6

“It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” 

Romans 4:24-25

As I sit here staring at a semi-blank computer screen, I can’t help but wonder what the disciples were thinking (and feeling) as they watched their Lord being placed on the cross. They probably were thinking that they were next to be put to death.

I can’t imagine what I would be thinking at that moment. Jesus knew God had a plan for Him and for us. We saw what God’s plan for Jesus was, and what a glorious plan it was. It not only showed us that there is truly life after death, but God’s plans are the ultimate!

We should not try to second guess God, but instead, thank Him every day for what He has done for us. Try it. It doesn’t have to be a long-winded, church preacher-style prayer. Just a simple “Thank you, God” is a good start. Then after a while, you can add what you are thanking Him for. Then you might add a blessing for your family, friends, co-workers, etc. Once you get the hang of it, you probably won’t want to stop. Then, and only then, will you have a church preacher-style prayer!

 Remember this, you are all my friends (some I have known forever, and some I haven’t met yet), and I love you all and keep you in my heart, always.

God loves us all!!

One more thing before I sign off: HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY. The only day of the year when EVERYBODY is Irish!

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, help us to realize that we are all your children who need help now and then. Help us to know when to ask for it when we need it, and if possible, give it when we are able. Amen.”

Thought for the month:
May good luck be your friend in whatever you do and may trouble be always a stranger to you.

An Irish Blessing for Health and Prosperity

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“Jesus said, ‘you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘you shall not kill; whosoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to council, and whoever says, ‘you fool!’, shall be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly I say to you, you will never get out until you pay the last penny .’” 

Matthew 5:21-26

 

We made it through the first month of the New Year with, I hope, few scrapes, bruises, and little pain. I trust you all are weathering the cold and snow with the grace of God (or doing the best that you can!).

The Bible message is a tad long this month, but I thought it was appropriate. I think this time of year, we tend to get a little ‘testy’ as we sometimes have to stay inside (where it is warm and cozy) with little to no contact with friends and/or neighbors. We tend to forget that we have friends that care for us.

Try not to turn our backs on our friends. If we know of anyone in need of help or assistance of any kind, please offer it. If you are the one in need of such assistance, please accept any and all help that might be offered. Lest we forget, we are all God’s children, and we cannot survive without each other’s help.

 Please remember that we ALL need a helping hand at some time or another. If you are able, help someone else. If you are the one in need, accept it willingly. There is no shame in needing help!

God loves us all!!

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, help us to realize that we are all your children who need help now and then. Help us to know when to ask for it when we need it, and if possible, give it when we are able. Amen.”

Thought for the month:
May the sun shine, all day long,
Everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
And may all the wishes you wish come true.

An Irish Blessing for Health and Prosperity

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying,’Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.’”  

Matthew 2:13

 

Happy New Year!! I hope that you all had great Christmas and New Year’s celebrations! This is the beginning of a brand, spankin’ New Year! A time to “reboot” (as the TECH world would say!).

To “reboot,” some ideas come to mind. One very important one comes to mind, and that is being kinder to your family, friends, and acquaintances! Another one is to refrain from being judgmental of one another.

I know what many of you are thinking; he is making a list of New Year’s resolutions to be broken early next month! No, I’m trying not to do that. What I am trying to do is this; I am trying to make it sound like (and it basically is) a life-changing event because if we all do this, our lives will change for the better and, possibly, make our little “acre” just a wee bit better.

It seems that I am asking you to “think about it for a minute” a lot lately, but I am very serious about this. If we don’t do something immediately, our lives, and the lives of our families won’t be worth a “plug nickel” in the near future.

We are entering a brand new year, full of new opportunities for us all. As in the scripture lesson this month, we are running and hiding from Herod in a way.

Herod might not be alive now, but we each have our own “Herod” we are trying to avoid. We can start by being more considerate of our fellow human beings. Please and thank you to the wait staff who deliver your food at the restaurant, holding the door open for people who are having a difficult time, smiling at strangers as you pass them on the street and many more. I’m sure you can think of some!

That is it for this month! I will step down from my soapbox (for now!). I would like to take this time to wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope the new year brings you all a bit of relief and a busload of happiness!

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” Amen.

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, help us all to stay away from our ‘Herods.’ Show us, always, the righteous path to travel. Amen.”

These things, I warmly wish for you-
Someone to love, some work to do,
A bit of o’ sun, a bit o’ cheer.
And a guardian angel always near.

An Irish Blessing for Health and Prosperity

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people.”

1 Chronicles 16:8

 

We are now in the Advent season of the Christian calendar. Have you ever really thought about what Advent is? Many will correctly answer that it is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas day (the day that all Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus) and begins this year on Sunday, November 28^th.

Each year as December draws near, many of us try to commit to finding rest in a season notoriously wrought with materialism, busyness, and exhaustion. We try to focus on what really should matter, and try to prepare our hearts and minds to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus, and all that it means to us, the believers. One way we do this is by celebrating the season of Advent, which for centuries has been tied to the first coming of Christ.

Other ways we celebrate is by building crèches depicting the nativity depicting the manger scene with the baby Jesus surrounded by Mary, Joseph, and the animals along with the Wise Men (who actually came later). Most importantly (or we sometimes think so) the presents! But are the presents really that important?

Think about it for a minute. What are we actually teaching our children about the true meaning of Christmas? I can remember as a boy growing up Christmas meant getting as many presents as I could. I didn’t know much about the birth of our savior until I was in my teen years (my parents were not church-goers). I did know that it was Jesus’ birthday, and we should be reverent to this fact, but that was about it. I did not know or understand much about Advent. For the longest time, I got the seasons of Advent and Lent mixed up! I did not fully understand until I started attending Church on a regular basis and got involved with Grange.

You might think that is strange and you are probably correct, but the Grange charges that we hear every meeting (especially the Chaplain’s charge) mirror a lot of the teachings you hear in Church.

Mainly, be thankful, thankful for the birth of Jesus who took all of our sins to the Father and asked for forgiveness for us. Be thankful for your loving families who, more often than not, overlook our misgivings and misjudgments. We all should take time to thank the Lord for everything that we have around us; the trees, lakes, oceans, mountains, and all the wildlife in the forests, without which we would not be able to survive.

 I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year! I hope the new year brings you all a bit of relief and a busload of happiness!

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” Amen.

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, thank you for the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. May we all learn from this miraculous birth.  Amen.”

He who loses money loses much;
He who loses a friend loses more;
And he who loses faith loses all.                                        

An Irish Friendship Blessing

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  

1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Here we are on the downhill side of the Fall season. I just finished raking leaves along the stone wall in front my house, and that is all the raking I plan to do for this season!

By the time you read this, we have already passed Veterans’ Day. I hope that you had the chance to attend some kind of remembrance ceremony for all veterans. I have a chance every day to thank a different veteran for their service. I hope you do, too! They are the reason that we are able to live in a country such as this, and have the freedoms that we so richly enjoy. If I haven’t thanked you personally yet, please accept this from my heart, “I thank you for all that you did in the past, now, and in the future. I appreciate all that you do and have done.”

We have other things to be thankful for in our lives. We should be thinking about them all year long as we go about our daily lives, but we tend to get so wrapped up in our daily lives that we forget sometimes.

The list is long (at least for me, it is!). I can think of many as I know you can, too. Be thankful, first off, for your family, for without them you would be nothing. Next, you fill in the rest. I’m sure those lists will be long, some longer than others.

 I am most thankful for my loving family, and friends that I have, for without them, I would not be the person that I am today. THANK YOU all for everything that you do, whatever it may be.

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” Amen.

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, teach us to be thankful for the good things in our lives. Show us that we must always be thankful for Your love and forgiveness.  Amen.”

May the grace of God’s protection
And His great love abide
Within your home-within the hearts
Of all who dwell inside.                                              

An Irish Family Blessing

By Clay Collins, MSG Chaplain
207 837-0564

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon. Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that they may be increased there, and not diminished.”

Jeremiah 29:4-6

 Ah, yes! We are now in the Fall of the year. Deep into the season, I hope you all fared well during the recent rains that encompassed the entire state! During the one-day event, we received approximately 7 inches of rain!

Most of you, I trust (I hope), are getting ready for the state session. If you are reading this after the session, let me say that I hope it was a great session and you had an enjoyable time.

This column is going to be a short one as I have to prepare for the memorial service for the session. I hope to see you there and be able to talk to you. I do enjoy meeting with all of my grange friends, old and new, and those that I haven’t met as yet!

The scripture lesson this month, like last month, comes from the book of Jeremiah. The lesson jumped out and grabbed me so much that I had to share. The lesson is one of hope (the lesson of the second degree!)

 I have tried in all of my columns to be hopeful about everything, and to promote hope to you, my faithful readers. If you read the scripture closely (maybe, read a few more verses), you will notice that the Lord is urging you to look toward the future. We are NOT without hope.

We do have bumps in the road, but that is what they are, just bumps. They are not rock walls that we cannot get around. They are just minor obstacles that we have to either climb over or go around. They are NOT permanent!

Do not give up hope, keep looking forward to the future, and do not forget the past. We can only learn from past history to help us move on to the future.

 Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Benediction: “Gracious Father of us all, help us to realize we need to nurture hope in others while nurturing it in ourselves. Amen.”

Thought for the month:

If God sends you down a stony path, may He give you strong shoes.                                                                        

a short Irish Blessing