“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Matthew 10:40-42
We are getting into the hot season. The season most of us were dreaming about last winter. You remember, the cold winter that seemed to hang on forever.
Now that the hot weather is here, what do people want most of all? A cool place to relax, and a nice cold drink! But what about those unfortunate people who cannot find these things? What do they do?
When you see someone struggling with the heat, give that person some help. If nothing else, give them a drink of water. If that isn’t possible, definitely call someone or an agency who can help. Be that person who steps up to help someone less fortunate. It doesn’t cost anything.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” Amen.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
Benediction: Gracious Father, help us remember that it doesn’t take much money to help the less fortunate. All it takes is a kind heart. Amen.
Thought for the month:
“May the good saints protect you and bless you today, and may troubles ignore you each step of the way.” [Irish Blessing]
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them , because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
John 14:15-17
June is here in all its glory, bringing with it new life and very warm weather. I hope you have the right cup while you enjoy the fine weather we are having.
I heard a story once about a man who was driving through a quiet neighborhood when he came upon some children selling Kool-Aid for 25 cents a cup. He stopped to buy a cup. He gave them a dollar, and they gave him back his change with his cup of Kool-Aid.
The child stood there in front of him while he drank his Kool-Aid. The man was asked if he wanted another drink, and when he said no, the child asked the man for the cup back, for that was the only cup they had, and it was needed for them to continue in business.
It is difficult to operate a Kool-Aid business with only one cup. Are you running your lives with only one cup, attending church services once a week, and thinking that is all it takes to be a good Christian? Just go to church on Sunday, and that is all that it takes.
We need more cups to do God’s work every day.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
Benediction: Gracious Father, help us to remember that it takes more than one cup to do your work. Amen.
Thought for the month:
“May you live as long as you want. And never want as long as you live!” [Irish Blessing]
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35
My friends and fellow Grangers, happy spring and happy Easter! As I write this today, I am looking out the window at the snow. Just sitting here watching the snow come down makes me think about all the things going on in the world.
All of the homeless people, the high cost of groceries, and the cost of gas and heating oil. We might not be able to do much about these things, but there is one thing that we, as a human race, can do to make it more bearable, and that is remember what Jesus said. “Love one another as He loves us!”
Many of you already do this, and I commend you for it. For the few that are stand-offish, take it slowly. When you meet someone, say, “Hello”, and strike up a conversation. Before you know it, you have a new friend. It might not be easy to start with, but do it long enough, it will become second nature. Think about it.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
Benediction: “Gracious Father, thank you for giving us your Son, Jesus, for whom we would never have learned how to love one another as He loves us. Amen.”
Thought for the month:
“May your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, and never in want.” [Irish Blessing]
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
This article was originally published in the Guilford Register Magazine during Grange Month, 2026
One of my greatest pleasures in life is attempting to explain the origins and purpose of this organization called “the Grange” to excited third graders as part of our “Words for Thirds” program. I start by attempting to determine what they already know about the Grange, and I’ll always remember the young girl who waved her hand enthusiastically and announced, “I was born there.”
It took a little thinking to realize she’d heard me say “LaGrange” – one of the small, rural communities here in Maine. Her answer was certainly amusing, but it was also insightful and telling. Like the organization she was learning about, she was proud of her roots and heritage. She announced her connection and kinship to LaGrange just as enthusiastically as I announce my connection to the Grange.
For those unfamiliar with it, the Grange, officially known as the Patrons of Husbandry, was founded in 1867 to revitalize American agriculture and foster a sense of belonging among rural families following the Civil War. By establishing local “Granges,” the organization provided a vital social hub that offered educational lectures, cooperative buying power to lower costs, and a rare space for men, women, and youth to participate equally. This focus on mutual aid and collective improvement transformed isolated farmsteads into tight-knit networks, cementing the Grange as a cornerstone of rural social life and civic engagement for over a century.
A sense of connection often attracts people to rural small-town America. But even small towns are experiencing a “social disconnect” as things like regional school systems and social media change the traditional model of community. We now have cell phones, tablets, and computers to stay “connected” with people – in many cases, people we rarely see and certainly can’t touch.
But beneath all the communicating, we still want to see people – to touch and be touched – and to feel a part of something. People will claim their families are going “in a million different directions” but not really consider why. Some of it has to be the search for connections and belonging. One reason every community needs a Grange is that folks are searching hard for a sense of community, and geographic boundaries no longer provide it. Being from “LaGrange” is not enough. Being from “the Grange” offers more.
The Grange, with its fundamental principles and practices, is one place where the entire family can not only be together but also feel connected to other like-minded people and families. The Grange’s rich heritage as an organization with shared values and missions remains relevant today. One hundred years ago, it was about farmers coming together and overcoming rural isolation. Today, it is about a larger and redefined community, but it is still about coming together and overcoming isolation.
In a study, psychologists McMillan and Chavis identified the four elements required for a “sense of community”: 1) membership, 2) influence, 3) fulfillment of needs, and 4) shared emotional connection. An in-depth study isn’t required to see how an active Grange contributes to those elements and builds a sense of community. From potluck suppers to community service projects, Grange members and friends feel a sense of kinship and demonstrate a cooperative spirit.
There are several important factors that distinguish the Grange from other civic and community organizations. The family orientation is one notable exception. Grange families find occasions when they don’t go in a million directions. Another is the diversity of programming and interests. The Grange offers social, political, economic, and educational benefits to all. You can’t be born there, but you can belong.
“A woman from Samaria came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink,’ (For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to Him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is saying to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?”
John 4:7-11
I apologize for such a long scripture this month, but it said volumes to me. This was the scripture we heard in church this week (third Sunday in Lent). I took the middle part of it. The full scripture lesson is John 4:5–42.
Naturally, we, as good grangers and Christians, would think nothing of giving the stranger a drink of water, but in those days, the Jews and Samaritans were total opposites from one another. It would be very strange for the two of them to even be sitting in the same area, much less talking to each other, especially a man and a single woman.
The woman was correct in saying that Jesus had nothing to draw water, and that the well was very deep. Jesus was not talking about water from the well that we drink. He was talking about the living water that only God Himself provides us. That is what God feeds our soul with to help us understand the teachings of Jesus and God.
The ”Living Water” that comes from God is what sustains us so that we may do good here on earth. We need to drink it in so that we can continue to do God’s work.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
Benediction: “Gracious Father, continue to give us the living water. Amen.”
Thought for the month:
“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.” [Irish Blessing]
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16
Here it is, another month. What happened to the month of January? Here we are in the second month, looking at a lot of snow and very cold weather, wondering if spring is ever going to get here. Well, take heart, my fellow brothers and sisters, it will come.
While we are waiting for the warmer weather to come, let’s work on letting our light shine on others. By that I mean during the cold weather, many people (especially the elderly) are spending more time indoors trying to keep warm.
Those of us who can and are able to get out should spread our “light” to those who need help. By calling our friends and neighbors to see if they are doing fine or if they need rides to the store or the doctor. They might just need to talk.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
Benediction: “Gracious Father, help us to be better people. Teach us to learn how to help those who are sad and mourning. Amen.”
Thought for the month:
“May good luck be your friend in whatever you do, and may trouble be always a stranger to you.”
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4
Happy New Year to one and all! I hope you had a very nice and rewarding Christmas season. Please remember that the season just doesn’t end on the sixth of January.
The Lord God did not want us to just worship Jesus’ birth; He wanted us to carry the feeling of love into the world every day. He wanted us to help the downtrodden. By helping those who are mourning, you will be helping yourselves.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
Benediction: “Gracious Father, help us to be better people. Teach us to learn how to help those who are sad and mourning. Amen.”
Thought for the month:
“May good luck be your friend in whatever you do, and may trouble be always a stranger to you.”
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
“And He saith unto them, ‘Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?’ Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” .
Matthew 9:26
Friends! Have you ever taken the time to determine just who your friends really are? Who are your rainy-day friends? Who are your casual friends? Who are your good friends? The ones who are there for you when you need them?
These are just a few questions to help you put your friends into the right perspective. Not all friends are alike! There are friends from work or school who are more casual acquaintances than friends. There are those friends who would drop everything and come running (literally) if you should need help of any kind. Then there are those friends who will stick by you when all of the other friends have long gone.
We must cherish all of our friends, as they each have a purpose in our lives. God would not have given us the friends that we have if there were not a purpose to it. It has been said that friends are like a fine wine; both add comfort to a significant situation. For if it weren’t for good friends, how would we be able to cope with our day-to-day lives?
Friends are a gift from God that we cannot overlook. I am thankful every day for all of my dear friends, for without them, I could not appreciate the true gifts from God. Thank you one and all for being my very dear friends.
Until the next time, remember, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch”.
Benediction: Our Father, thank you for our friends for without them, life would not be worth living. Help us to realize that our friends are really a true and loving gift from You. We give our thanks in Thy holy name. Amen.
Thought for the month:
“Life has many gifts – take time to unwrap them all!”
While Chaplain Christine is burdened with technology challenges, she has invited Past MSG Chaplain Clay to share some spiritual thoughts with our Grange Flock.
In a recent post, Seth Godin suggested we need a north star to provide a sense of direction and purpose, much like the literal North Star guides sailors and travelers. While he was writing about individuals, I was immediately struck by what a great practice this would be for Granges.
I recently asked someone what they knew about the Grange. After stumbling around a bit, they admitted, “practically nothing.” I was stuck with the challenge of deciding how much to share with her.
Perhaps in the future, a good answer would be “The Grange is an organization doing work that matters for people who care.” It’s tempting to edit this to “…for people who matter.” It’s catchy. But that might miss the point because an essential word for Grangers is “stewardship.” Sharing the work that matters gains power when we share it with people who care about it. That’s good stewardship.
Using the Words for Thirds Program as an example, it provides dictionaries to third graders as work that matters. We do so for people who care, and that includes students who want to learn (they care), teachers who enjoy and benefit from (care about) the resource we provide. Shall we go on?
Sometimes, simple works best. If you want to write a 500-word mission statement, go for it. If we’re considering a new project, a North Star will probably suffice. If you’re using this one, you just have to ask, “Are we doing work that matters for people who care?”
If people don’t seem to care about the Grange, we might do well to consider what the Grange cares about. What is our guiding star?
