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.
Originally posted in The Guilford Register Magazine in celebration of Grange Month.
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?
Here’s a short message for kids and parents everywhere. Things don’t always happen the way they’re supposed to. Let me explain.
I recently stopped for a school bus. That’s not big news. It is an example of things happening the way they should. I was facing the bus and could see past it, noticing that the cars behind it had also stopped exactly as they should.
The lights flashed, the stop sign on the bus opened, and the safety arm across the front of the bus swung wide.
Four or five kids got off the bus. They ranged in size from tiny ones with outsized backpacks to some older ones. They came around the front of the bus. So far, so good.
Some ran, some walked in front of the bus and across the highway.
When they started across my lane, I started yelling at them even though there was no way they could hear me. They didn’t stop or even pause to look up and down the road. Fortunately, everything was working the way it should. Well, almost everything. I think the kids were supposed to look both ways.
Safety shouldn’t be delegated; it should be shared.
“Mr. Boomsma”
Sometimes, things don’t work the way they should. I can think of several ways that might have been the case. Several days later, there was a headline from a distant state where someone didn’t stop for a school bus, and a child was injured.
If we want kids to feel and be safe, we need to involve them in the process. It wouldn’t be so bad for them to learn they have some responsibility for staying safe. A few seconds’ pause to look up and down the road is just plain smart.
At the start of the school year, parents should consider meeting the bus and ensuring their kids do this. I’d be happy if the bus driver kept the window open and told the kids to stop and look — at least until they got into the habit. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended a school bus safety program, but I’d be thrilled if crossing in front of the bus was part of that curriculum. Safety shouldn’t be delegated; it should be shared.
Photo by Mary Taylor on Pexels.com
Make this part of your Family Health and Hearing Program?!
By Beth Morse, VSG Fall Festival Director 802 388-2653
Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com
Maine Grangers are invited to join us at the VT Grange Center (located at 308 West St, Brookfield, VT 05036) for our annual Fall Festival on Sept 5th, 6th & 7th.
Like many fairs, we give Grangers the opportunity to showcase the quality products they produce. (Forms are listed at the end of this post.)
Here is a copy of our schedule of activities for the weekend:
Friday:
5:00 pm – Entries for judging can be turned in with entry form
5:30 pm – Potluck Supper
6:00 pm Bonfire (weather & burn ban permitting, plan B movie)
Saturday:
7:00 to 8:00 am Breakfast ($8) Waffles, Bacon, Syrup, Fruit, Coffee & Juice
8:00 am Activities will commence:
Cribbage Contest Checkers Contest Hula Hoop Contest Horseshoe Contest Cornhole Contest Selfie Photo Booth Pumpkin Checkers Pumpkin Ring Toss Frying Pan Throwing Rolling Pin Throwing
There will be sign-up forms available for each contest.
9:30 am All Vegetable, Flower, Cooking, and Craft Contest entries are due with the entry form (no form, no entry).
10:00 am Winter Building will be closed while the judging is going on (signs will be posted on the doors).
