When Masonry becomes the “other woman” by Br. Antonio Caffey

I am sharing a paper written by Br. Antonio Caffey of St. Marks Lodge #7 F&AM PHA in Columbus, Ohio...

Freemasonry with its traditions, history and customs, have made countless numbers of men submit to its teachings.  In my opinion next to religion, Freemasonry offers its pupils a sublime way to live their lives in today’s world.  

This is what attracted me to the Fraternity and made me want to dedicate my time, money and efforts to this organization.  After I was raised, I immersed myself in the Craft.  

I read every book possible, spent every moment I could at the Lodge making myself a “better man.” 

I have had the honor and privilege of serving my Lodge as its Worshipful Master and a Trustee.

     

A few years ago, I had a conversation with a Past Master of my Lodge after a meeting.  

We were discussing Masonry when he stated that at times, he felt as though Masonry was his “mistress.”  I asked him to elaborate on that statement, and he said at times he contemplated on how it seemed like he was cheating on his girlfriend (who is now his wife) by being involved with the Lodge.  

I thought about this statement and initially dismissed this notion.  I have often reflected on this conversation that I had with my esteemed Brother and have concluded that for many of us, Masonry has become the “other woman.”  

Some Brethren have let the Lodge take precedent over family activities and interfere with their lives outside of our Masonic Temples.  We often have the opinion that Brothers should be at every meeting, participate in every Lodge function and support the Lodge in anyway, we can.  A lot of us view the definition of a dedicated Mason through this clouded lens.  

I would say to these Brethren, be careful not to let Masonry become the “other woman.”

     

Being a good Mason can and should coincide with being a good family man.  Signs to look for to make sure you are balancing the two and are not “to involved” in the Lodge are:

1.     Staying out late on Lodge nights.

Having fellowship with Brothers after the Lodge meeting is as old as Freemasonry itself.  There is nothing wrong with staying past the end of the meeting to talk and socialize with your Brethren.  However, when your meeting is ending at 9:00p.m.  and you don’t get home until 12:00a.m.; you should reexamine your priorities.

2.     Volunteering for every committee that your Lodge has.

Many of us find a need to be on every committee that the Worshipful Master has established.  This again takes you out of the home for committee meetings and other activities that are related to the committee’s duties.

3.  If every thing you talk about is related to the Lodge or Freemasonry.

I love the Lodge and I love Freemasonry.  When I am asked to speak on the subject, I get excited.  Nevertheless, I do not let Freemasonry define my experience as a Man.  It along with many other important things in my life contributes to who I am.

4. Financial charges-Spending money on Lodge activities before paying your bills

You would be surprised at how many of us go into debt by supporting this raffle ticket sale or buying this banquet ticket or getting involved in every Masonic organization.

     Many of you may view this claim of Masonry being the “other woman” as ludicrous and absurd.  

I have seen what happens when men show more attention to the Lodge than their families.  We should understand that we can still maintain a healthy and happy family life and be dedicated to the Lodge.  

We need to recognize the signs of when we are spending too much time in our Lodges and not enough time at home.  We should also be able to whisper good counsel to those Brothers who are not balancing both. 

     

I love Masonry, and I show this by spending time with my family, as well as participating in Lodge activities.  

I take what Freemasonry has given me and implement it in my everyday life.  When I need to make a choice on a family activity or a Lodge function, I choose my family.

     

I finally understood that Masonry is not necessarily the Lodge that you go to, the banquet you attend, or the committee you belong to.  

It is how you live your life outside of the Temple, my actions towards others and how I view the world. 

Live Masonry.

Fraternally,

Raymond Sean Walters

Twice Raised Freemason

Experience of Masonry as a Transformational Art (Robert G. Davis, Past Master)

Good Morning!

I wanted to share a paper written by another Freemason that may cause those of you in the Fraternity to THINK.

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Experience of Masonry as a Transformational Art

By Robert G. Davis Past Master, Guildhall Lodge No. 553, Oklahoma

Recipient of 2009 Duane E. Anderson Excellence in Masonic Education Award

Reprinted from the July April issue of the "Minnesota Mason"VOL. 56, No. 6

Experience of Masonry as a Transformational Art

I have given much thought over the past twenty years to the state of Masonry in America. To be sure, the success or failure of our organization is almost wholly based on the Symbolic Lodge and the experience a Brother receives there. A global review of successful lodge models clearly shows us there are at least two models of success in the Masonic culture.

There are, for example, thriving lodges in America which stay focused on delivering Masonry with a well-rounded agenda. These lodges characteristically provide accurate ritual work, meaningful charitable activities, visible community services, regular family and social activities, and an adequate fraternal experience for their members. Successful lodges do this consistently year after year. Lodges that are increasing in membership in the United States typically do these things better than most.

But there are also lodges whose success is focused only on Masonry as a fraternal experience; one in which meaningful tools for personal improvement and spiritual development are consistently delivered to members month-in and month-out. Such lodges are centered on what we might call the “inner work,” in which the appeal is wholly fraternal and carried out in privacy, with little public visibility. In America, we think of these as “traditional practices” lodges.

Let me say that I fully support and encourage the first model of success for the overall American culture, as it is the one that gives us public presence and credibility and offers our members the opportunity to practice without the lodge what they learn in it. It is the lodge experience that the Masonic Renewal Committee of North America has claimed will be attractive to a significant number of American men.

Having said this, however, it is the second model of success that will be the focus of this paper because I am convinced that men in the 19 to 35 year-old-range are interested in organizations that are centered on education, spiritual development, and fraternity. And it is this segment of our population that will most likely determine if Masonry will survive or die as an American institution over the
next few years.

I have done some serious soul-searching about our claim that the most important purpose of our Order is to take good men and make them better; in large part because we fail miserably in our effort to create and protect the setting within which this process can occur—the sacred space of the tiled lodge. To me, meeting on the level implies that there is a place where, in fact, no invidious distinctions exist; a place where there is no basis for envy or jealousy; a place where there is no need for power or control; a place where there is no impulse for influence or manipulation; no motive for condescension and patronizing; a place wherein there is no presumption that we will duplicate there the behaviors and attitudes that may prevail outside of it.

Yet, in lodge after lodge; in Grand Lodge after Grand Lodge, we typically find that the normal characteristics of human behavior remain the same. within the tiled recesses as without them. My Brethren, if the normal failings of humanity do not stay outside the lodge, then how can we claim to offer a different space within it? How do we deliver on our promise that wisdom dwells in contemplation, that the genius of the Mystic Art presides over our assemblies, and that we are practicing our operative craft only when we are gathered together in a sacred space set aside and consecrated specifically for that purpose?

Those of us who are active in our communities and are known as Masons and those of us who work in Masonic buildings which offer daily public tours frequently get the chance to talk with many non- Masons. In those conversations we find a surprising number of young men asking questions about Masonry. Many of these men, particularly those who have done some website surfing, have already formulated an opinion about us. Thus they often come into Masonry knowing more about it than we do. They have read all the anti-Mason rhetoric that is out there. They have sifted through the good and the bad, and have independently concluded that Freemasonry is a venue for truth-seeking; a vehicle for self development; a quest for the spiritual.

Many young men are coming into our Order with expectations of discovery and personal improvement. What they too often find is an organization where old men with old ideas rule; where little happens of substance; where 90% of the members are unseen and inactive; and where behaviors practiced in lodge are remarkable only in their mediocrity and collective lack of understanding in both its organizational purpose and its relevance to the individual.

These realities have led me to become increasingly resistant to the usual lodge culture that we offer in America. I am increasingly fearful that if we do not change our vision and behaviors of what we are supposed to do in lodge, we will run the risk of having to compete with newly created forms of Freemasonry which will likely deliver an even more fragmented system of fraternity with no uniform principles, one that operates from a ritual base of no lineage and promotes practices that are different than what our Founding Fathers envisioned in our Renaissance and Enlightenment era beginnings.

In my judgment, there is an enormous threat to recognized and legitimate Freemasonry today which is being facilitated by electronic ommunication. The Internet, for all of its advantages of networking, has the potential of organizing an entire generation of young seekers into a form of Masonry that knows no Grand Lodge, which operates independently from any collective system of sanctioning, and which will ultimately offer an inadequate model of stability to enable it to survive longer than most other American fads.

This is not a valid or responsible approach to improvement. We are the trustees of a timeless model of improvement for men. Our job is not to light a new torch, but to carry the torch of the old way to the next generation of men. We have a heritage and a lineage which is ours alone because we have earned our own position within it from a legitimate constitutional base.

The point then which I want to raise with you today is this—there is nothing inherently wrong with Freemasonry. It is only because we have stopped seeing Masonry as a transformative art that we have stopped being successful as Masons. It is only when we stopped the dialogue of sharing the meanings and interpretations of our allegories in lodge as a collective practice of lodge that we lost our understanding of Masonry. It is only when we stopped offering the right model for fraternal role modeling to our younger members, one that provides meaningful generational connections to them, that we became less attractive to the largely fatherless culture in our society.

It is only when we stopped seeing the lodge as a vehicle for facilitating the ideals and needs of men, rather than forcing men to be suppliants to the Lodge, that we lost the essential motivation for joining. It is only when we stopped creating social and leadership venues that offered valuable connections between generations of men that we became irrelevant in their eyes. It is only when we stopped creating meaningful legislation in our Grand Lodges, when we stopped making the kinds of adaptations which may bring us progress, and when we replaced progressive opportunities with meaningless rules, that we became too selfserving to be interactive with the larger society.

It is when we decided to become a popular organization that permits anyone to be a member, rather than accepting only those who are duly and truly prepared as instructed by our rituals, that we lost the segment of the male culture that could help us the most and sustain us in every generation. It is, after all, the man who has prepared himself to accept responsibility for his own actions who is also prepared for any kind of constructive learning about himself. When a candidate knocks on the door of a Masonic lodge, he is standing at the threshold of his own consciousness. Beyond that door, he should find a Temple of Enlightenment. And everything he does therein, every symbol he encounters, every pause he takes, every process he witnesses through the degrees of Masonry from that point forward should enhance his increased awareness, his levels of consciousness, and his transformation as a more enlightened human and spiritual being. Brother Kirk MacNulty perhaps defined this concept best in his wonderful book, The Way of the Craftsman, that the craft communicates two notions—first that mankind is made in the image of God and, second, that each of us reflects the structure of the universe.

So, we have to understand that every lodge is a group of men who come together for the purpose of carrying out certain kinds of magical work. The lodge experience is defined by the space which it creates, by its patterns of symbols and ideas, by its music and lighting, by its understanding of its legends and its psychological structure. Traditional practices lodges understand the lodge space itself, and that the work done there is done in secret; and through this discipline of secrecy, it creates for its group a “space between worlds.”

The lodge, because of its consecration and structure, becomes a receptacle of mental and
spiritual health. It provides the path or way of contemplation. It is a healing place because of the purification of its space; and the men working within such a place are doing inner work together. It is a place where only peace and harmony is known because each man within the group is building a temple to God and he knows that is what he is doing. Every participant knows it is his edifice of consciousness and wisdom, in which he himself is the building stone. We cannot smooth the rough ashlar, we cannot square this stone, we cannot make it fit in the Temple without the awareness that this is the work we are doing; that the lodge is the stage, the studio, the working floor, the trestle board for such work.

My Brethren, I can assure you that when you create such a place, and when you bring
the right men into this space, and you stay focused on the individual and his experience,
your rituals will awaken magical energies both within you and within your lodge setting. Your group can literally charge with extraordinary power what is otherwise an ordinary space and transform your lodge into the transformational center that it can and should be.

[Reprinted with permission of the author and The Voice of Freemasonry, published by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.]

Fraternally,

Raymond Sean Walters

THE THREE RUFFIANS (JUBELA, JUBELO AND JUBELUM)

Greetings!

I share another paper written by PGM Howard Woods of the MWPHGL of Arkansas.

THE THREE RUFFIANS

(JUBELA, JUBELO AND JUBELUM)

A study of the captioned subject shows how much some people cannot separate legend from allegories from truth. We approach the title with a lot of doubt and a smidgen of respect for the authors of the material I have researched over the last few weeks. New questions have arisen, especially since I have viewed the movies "Death by Decree" and "From Hell" two (2) stories about Jack the Ripper and the so-called Masonic Connection. One has ventured forth on ideas that Jack was a person of English royalty, named Prince Albert and that the Masonic Fraternity protected him. Another ventured that Jack was the queen's physician, protecting the family name over a bastard child, who would have been heir to the throne of England. No wonder non-Masons think so lowly of our beloved fraternity.

ALBERT G. MACKEY

In the author's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FREEMASONRY, for your edification, check out his articles on "Jubela-o-um", and then go to "Ruffians: Giblim." It is stated that:

Gebal is a city in ancient Phonecia. Inhabitants of the city were called Giblites or Giblimites and they were "stone-squarers." See 1st Kings 18.

The three (3) names were originally one (1) name for a 'fellowcraft, a leader in the conspiracy against Hiram Abif, and that the names were corrupted names of Giblimite. It is suggested that later writers gave them the a, the o and um to prove their "conspiracy" point. Giblim was corrupted to Gibalim or three (3) syllables or spelled another way, Chibbelum.

The French spelling took Giblim and went to Jiblime, then to Jibulum to Jabulum (See RAM). The same type corruption was evident with Pythagoras, as the French spelled it Pytagore, and in Masonic lore it became Peter Gower combining English and French. Let us follow this trial of corruption: Ghiblim-Giblim-Gibalim-Chibbelum-Jiblime-Jibelum-Jabelum and finally to Jubellum. Consequently, the words are not names but titles of one (1) fellow-craft 'Jubrlum' and with the a and the o added, bibgo, we have three (3) ruffians.

Later writers gave the names to the sun, rising in the East, following a Southerly course and setting in the West (See the Three Gates, same book.) Consider the three (3) stations in a Lodge as well as why there is no gate in the North.

This also alludes to the working tools of the fellow-craft Mason, even though the Setting Maul is not listed in the saga as a working tool of the fellow-craft, and is never explained that Jubelum was not a Master Mason and was trying to get the 'secret.' Allegories abound with these three (3) who chose to agree, but, on the wrong thing. There is a difference between a 'gavel and a setting maul, as one is a working tool of a fellow-craft, while the other, the gavel, is an emblem of authority, and is wielded by the Master of the Lodge.

A look at the AOM, the endings of Jube, called Juwes in the Sherlock Holmes movie and the From Hell movie, a student of Eastern religions will see the sound of Aummmm as a connotation of the Sanskrit chant, replacing the o with a u. In the Sanskrit language o is spelled u. The chant is emblematical of the trilateral gods of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, translated to mean Creator, Preserver and Destroyer.

THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF FREEMASONRY

I believe in the Christian slant as I see it in Freemasonry and I believe there are several religious slants to the whole of Freemasonry creating the 'universality' of the fraternity. What is man, morally, without religious principles hovering over him? It is like life without 'love' which would render life as totally useless. The God we serve, has many names, and many prefixes, and we shall only deal with the three (3) names of the Ruffians to get a muddled view of what may have been on the minds of early Masonic writers.

Some writers have ventured forth that the prefixes of all three (3) Ruffians brings God into the matter by the use of Ja, or as sometimes rendered Je or Jo. We see the same arrangement when the J is replaced with a y, rendering the prefixes Ya or Ye or Yo.

The three (3) ruffians would be the three (3) courts that tried Jesus the Christ: Sanhedrin Court (Jubela); Herod's Court (Jubelo) and lastly, Pilate's court (Jubelum). The total could be rendered: Religious Court (Sanhedrin); Political Court (Herod's Court); and Social, as in social disorder (Pilate's Court). Their instruments could be rendered: Sanhedrin Court: Plumb; Herod's Court: Square; Pilate's Court: Level. On Jesus' back was a scarlet robe, a color of shame (prostitution); on his head a thorny crown (royalty) and on his shoulders a cross (mitre).

The sign above HIS head: Elements (Earth, Wind, Fire and Water).
The cross had four (4) Squares (Basic man; Intellectual Man; Spiritual Man; Resurrected Man).

HIS Blood was for redemption.
HIS water for baptism.

HIS seven (7) words, completion.
HIS death (end of HIS mission).
HIS burial, earthly returning from whence HE came.

HIS first day and night-Law.
HIS second day and night-Prophecy.
HIS third day-Grace.

In reading this, please make time to determine who the ruffians are in your personal life... those that seek to stifle your intellectual & spiritual development.

Turn a negative into a positive!

Fraternally,

Raymond Sean Walters

Twice Raised Freemason

Is there really a war on the mining industry, or war on the miners by the mining industry itself?

While I have had concerns about actions I have seen taken that affect the mining industry, I have had greater concern about the blatant racism that is so overwhelming in today's coal industry in West Virginia (not that it has ever really left, but it was more bearable for about 30 years).

I have watched how educated, experienced mine applicants like myself are openly discriminated against while jokes are made about the reasoning for the discrimination. Ain't nothing worse than ignorance, and maybe nothing worse than an ignorant bigot.

In addition to the open racism, many of these companies hiring officers would rather hire functional drug addicts that take shortcuts when it comes to safety than hire personnel with excellent safety records who have actual training at what they do in the mining industry (or any other field for that matter).

Since returning to West Virginia in 2008 after 20+ years of working worldwide, I AM often disgusted at what I see around me. And this disgust permeates every aspect of life in this state; from church to work to even the school system that our children are exposed to.

My family has been in West Virginia since the 1850's and many men in my family have worked in the mining industry in the state starting with my 2nd great grandfather Nicholas Walters from Moundsville, West Virginia. I have found myself wondering what adversity did he and other men of color deal with in mining then when there were NO laws against discrimination at all? Though there were no laws against discrimination, certain positions were relegated to men of color, while other positions were often off-limits to those same men.

There is still an element today in mining (and other industries) that strongly feels that a person of color is NOT qualified to manage or supervise, even when that person has been in supervisory positions and has the credentials to boot.

So, while I dislike the often oppressive measures that government has been using towards the mining industry, I AM more concerned with the oppression often heaped at myself and other qualified men of color by those same managers, supervisors and employees that feel that I and my family are not worthy to earn a living from the mining industry because they don't like my eye color, the way I talk, or the vehicle I drive. As if any of those things should matter when it comes to good hiring & business practices???

And for the record, many of these people in the mining industry did NOT vote for President Obama or his environmental policies, they voted for Republicans overwhelmingly. Republicans and wealthy people always work against the interests of the working class person, but these folks in West Virginia would rather vote for someone that will take advantage of them, step on their neck or sit on their chest as opposed to seeing some basic fairness across the board so that everyone can do well.

It is really no wonder why stuff in West Virginia (and America) is so jacked up!!!

Here is a link to the article that caused me to comment this morning:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/war-on-coal-is-a-war-on-coal-miners/article/2541167

Raymond Sean Walters

THE STATIONS OF A MASONIC LODGE From a Biblical Viewpoint by PGM Howard Woods

Greetings again!

Today I wish to share a paper written by PGM Howard Woods of the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas. Most likely I will be sharing others from him in the future, as they were often timely... and relevant.

Though Freemasonry is non-sectarian, there is relevance in Masonic ritual to ALL religious faiths in my personal opinion.

Link to the original website and papers written by PGM Howard Woods

http://arkphagrandlodge.net/knowledge.html

THE STATIONS OF A MASONIC LODGE

From a Biblical Viewpoint

In the Lodge, one finds a multitude of members from different walks of life, different religious backgrounds and different levels of Freemasonry. If one is in the Lodge for what he can get out of it physically or monetary, then he misses the true meaning of Freemasonry and what the Bible has to say about it as stated by David, the beloved of God, father of King Solomon, of whom every Master of a Lodge is representative. We call the East the Throne of Solomon. Yet, there is a deeper meaning found in the scriptures. Let us see what we can find and maybe, just maybe, this will give you an appetite for Bible Study as it relates to Freemasonry. In order to find that deeper meaning, one hsa to search the scriptures from Genesis to Revelations and back again, for the promise of a Saviour (Master Mason) is throughout the Holy Bible, if you believe what you find.

In his 133rd Number of Psalms, verse #3, David talks about the "dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion:" It is a very interesting verse and is interpreted as a prophetic statement, even though David was never considered a prophet. Let us, as Prince Hall Masons explore the deeper reasoning behind this whole chapter, and more particular the 3rd verse. To get better understanding, read the whole chapter, for it is the foundation.

The 133rd Psalms is one of fifteen (15) 'Songs of Degrees' that David wrote, and today, in Freemasonry, we associate the fifteen (15) degrees with one of the numerical names of God. They are also associtated with the stairs leading to the middle chamber, consisting of fifteen (15) steps in groups of three (3), five (5) and seven (7), which is explained in exoteric terms already. It is said that the priests (chanters) sung those psalms at the opening of affairs of state as David sat upon his throne. It is good to check out the 119th Psalms and study the numerical worth of the Jewish alphabet.

In writing the psalm (song), David spoke of several things centering on the basis of Freemasonry, brotherhood, as exhorted in his 1st verse, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" That is a very profound statement and as you read your Bible, you will see that the translator used an exclamation point, showing the greatness of such a statement. It does not end with the period of passive conclusion, or a comma denoting more to come. It is to be uttered with authority, with great joy, for that is why we gather in the Lodge, to experience the Joy of Brotherhood!

Looking around (in my mind), David sought something tangible to compare this joy with, and probably considered:
1. Gold: The measure of wealth in any country or clime.
2. Silver: The second standard of wealth and is normally linked to gold.
3. Land: The unchanging wealth, for God has made all He is going to make.
4. Stock: The assets of wealthy men and women, whether Real, Live or personal.

Yet, in David's mind, I would say that none of the above would do in describing the Joy of Brotherhood as supposed to be found in the Masonic Lodge. So, there must be a higher level of comparison. Therefore, let us look upward to He who made all.

Once again, in my own mind, David thought of his own experience of being chosen by God to be His king, and was annointed by Samuel, with the special oil that every prophet carried, along with a vial of wine for medicinal purposes. It was not any old kind of oil or ointment, but that which was sanctified (set aside) for the annointing of things or people in God's program. In Genesis 28: 10-22, we see Jacob, later to be called Israel, consecrating the stone of Bethel after seeing a vision of the ladder. In this chapter, Jacob gives a vow and a prophecy of a cornerstone, for in verse 22, he says that he will give a tenth (tithes) of all that he has; the prophecy comes two-fold, first as a spiritual blessing from God in verse 14 (the number of a boy-child), depicting the coming of a saviour. In verse 22, again, Jacob makes a promise as well as a prophecy, a physical one, when he talks about the "pillow" becoming a "pillar" in God's house. This is one of the predictions that the Saviour (Jesus, the Christ) will be considered a 'cornerstone' in a building of faith, just as the pillar will become a cornerstone in the Temple of God, later to be called the Temple of Solomon.

Moving on, it says that the special ointment is so plentiful, that it runs down upon the beard even Aaron's beard. Aaron was Moses' brother and God's first ordained preacher, with his vestments made by Moses himself. As a Nazarite, Aaron was not supposed to cut any of his hair, so consequently, in order for oill to run down to his beard, it must have been a lot of oil. Then David said that it flowed on down to the hem of his garment. Unlike the rest of the people, Aaron's garment was to his ankles, as not part of his body was to be seen except his face and hands. Still, that was not enough to compare with the Joy of Brotherhood that David wanted to share with us through his psalm.

Then David probably thought of dew-drops, a common enough element, but one that was plentiful and most important to the watering of Israel. Little inconsequental dew-drops that by themselves, couldn't do anything, but by linking together in a spirit of togetherness, a spirit of brotherhood, that same little dew-drop would become an effective element, for there is strength in numbers. In the area of Jerusalem, where did the dew-drops come from that they became so important in describing brotherhood? From the highest mountain in Galilee, Mt. Hermon, as stated in Psalms 133:3, one of the Mountains of Zion.

All the mountains of Israel are called the 'Mountains of Zion' as Zion is another name for Israel, or that Spiritual Land of Heaven, where David said, "I will look to the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth." But, there were three (3) particular mountains that stood out, and are associated with the stations in a Masonic Lodge, namely, Mt. Zion, Mt. Moriah, and Mt. Olives (Olivet).

Without this Blessing, the Sea of Galilee would not be formed by the streams that fill it. Without this Blessing, the streams would not be formed by the ditches that came from the top of the mountaion. Without these ditches being formed, there would have been no dew-drops falling from above. Without those dew-drops coming together, bonding together as one, a bond of unity, they would have died without making a mark on the world at large. But because David loved the brotherhood that existed in Israel at the time, he showed us the importance of being as brothers should be. And, because the dew-drops came together, ditches were formed; because the ditches came together, streams ran free; because the streams were allowed to flow freely, the Sea of Galilee was formed; because the sea was formed, its overflow of abundance caused the making of the Jordan River. Because the Jordan River flowed, the Dead Sea received the waters from the Jordan, where each dew-drop discovered the "undiscovered country." One may think that the dew-drop, like life, would end and death would be the final answer.

But, thanks be to the Grand Architect of the Universe, He sent down a Blessing upon the Mountains of Zion, and commanded "even life forever more." That Blessing was and is, Jesus the Christ. Therefore, the stations represent the three (3) strongest attributes of a Saviour and a Master Mason: Wisdon, to contrive (Genesis 1:1); Strength to support (Genesis 1:2); Beauty to adorn (Genesis 1:3 See also John 1:1-5).

We are in the seventh (7th) day, a day of rest, a day of refreshment, a Sabbath Day. How much longer it will last, we do not know but, it will end one day, and the eighth day will be upon us. Jesus admonishes up to "pray that your flight will not be in the winter (Low Twelve), neither on the Sabbath Day" (A day of rest) when you are not at labor, but at refreshment. The Junior Warden will sound the gavel one day to return to labor.

Therefore, my brethren, the stations of a Lodge are very representative of our Spiritual Self, our Hiram Abif; Jesus, the Christ, who was born, like we were, lived and worked, as we do; was tried as we are (Often tried, never denied); suffered, as we do (Members not paying dues or cooperating in Lodge's programs) and died as we will and are doing when our Lodges have no programs, no new members, no positive images in our communities and forever criticizing our officers and Grand Officers, or those in authority, kicking or even killing, programs that will benefit all of us. Are you killing Grand Master Hiram Abif?

The three (3) stations, in summary then, are the places where Jesus was tried (Mt. Zion); crucified and buried (Mt. Moriah); and where he prayed (Mt. Olives). The men that stand or sit there, would do well to know who they represent and how and why their stations are immovable jewels. They are the Law, the Prophecy and Grace, by which we will be raised.

But, there is good news on the horizon, for as Jesus was resurrected from an eartly grave, so will Freemasonry be resurrected from the depravation stemming from the lack of support of its members. As Jesus ascended back from whence He came, so shall Freemasonry return to the yesterdays, with old values, but modern attitudes and procedures, with or without those individuals that would dare try to tear it down.

As always I encourage you to read, study and live Freemasonry.

Fraternally,

Raymond Sean Walters

Twice Raised Freemason

Link to the original website and papers written by PGM Howard Woods

http://arkphagrandlodge.net/knowledge.html

Book of Ruth Study (Final Discussion)

Book of Ruth Study- Questions

Final Discussion on Book of Ruth

Opening

1. Of which ancestors are you very proud? Of whom were you embarrassed?

2. What would you like to be famous for?

Questions

1.How is the birth of Obed announced? How is Ruth’s selfless devotion celebrated? What is the point of this unusual birth announcement?

2. Why do you think the story of Ruth concludes with a genealogy of David? Why two such genealogies (vv. 17 and 18-22)?

3. In the ancient Near East, genealogies often served in context to connect two people. For instance, the genealogy in verses 18-22 connects David with Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar, who are also mentioned in verse 12. For David and his descendants, who faced numerous challenges to their right to rule, how would this “famous” connection help to legitimize their claims to royalty (see Genesis 49: 8-12)?

4.How would Moabite history (see Genesis 19: 30-38; Numbers 25: 1-3; Deuteronomy 23: 2-4) affect the Israelites, such as David , who are linked to the Moabites? (vv. 13-17; 1 Samuel 22:3-4)?

5. What would someone reading this artful story of David’s roots have to conclude about the righteousness of Ruth and Boaz?

6. Define “providence”. In this story, what evidence do you see for divine providence superseding: (a) Human ingenuity? (b) Cultural prejudice? (c) Marriage and property laws of that day?

Reflection

1. When have you seen God as your kinsman- redeemer like Boaz?

2. Where have you seen the God of Ruth and Boaz act providentially and redemptive on your behalf? Where have you seen the God of Israel and Moab concern himself equally for any and all people who put their trust in him?

3. Who is the “untouchable” Moabite in your life--- the one whom you keep at arm’s length? How will you bridge the gap between you?

4. How would your association with the “Moabites” of today affect your status with your peers? How would that affect your status with the Lord?

5. Who among your friends and relatives suffers: (a) because of their “suspect” associations (e.g. with modern “Moabites”)? (b) Because of their personal emptiness? What will you and your group do (this week) to demonstrate God’s concern for these people?

6. There are two books in the Bible bearing the title of women’s names. Both experienced successful cross-cultural marriages. Is there a lesson to be told with respect to this activity? If so, what?

Book of Ruth Study (Chapter 4)

Book of Ruth Study- Questions

Chapter 4 Opening Discussion

1. Do you like going barefoot? When? Where?

2. When have you sealed a promise in an unusual way (like being “blood brothers”)?

Chapter 4 Questions

1. From Leviticus 25: 23-43 and Deuteronomy 25: 5-10, what are the Lord’s views on property, poverty, and posterity? Given her tenuous position, how would these laws protect Naomi?

2. What cost is involved for the kinsman- redeemer who follows each of these laws? If a woman marries the kinsman, how much of her property goes to him? How much to her son? How might this account for the unnamed redeemer’s reluctance to marry Ruth (v. 6)?

3. What does it say about Boaz, being willing to take on all the expense and duties, when he will get nothing tangible in return? What ancestor of Boaz was born from the same practice of this kinsman-redeemer law (vv. 12, 18-21); see Genesis 38)? How might having a foreigner for a mother (see Matthew 1: 5), have influenced his choice of a wife?

Chapter 4 Reflection

1. How large a problem are your poor, your hungry, and your homeless? How could the biblical principle of gleaning (salvage or recycling) be applied to your situation?

2. When have you faced great physical need? How did the Lord provide for you? How is your story like Naomi’s and Ruth’s story of how the Lord cares?