This morning, I was watching a short reel by Pastor John Ortberg. Not something I normally do but this one was kind of interesting. He was talking about AA meetings being held in the basements of some churches and a saying. “You can either stay upstairs and hear about miracles. Or go downstairs and see them.” I thought this was very interesting and it got me to thinking. I know, most things do. Within my Lodges we will have our stated meetings and conduct the business of the Lodge. Those are needed to keep the lights on and decide the direction the Lodge is going to go. But after my Home Lodge will go downstairs for coffee, cookies, cake, etc. My Traditional Observance Lodge will go to a local restaurant and have a meal. The goal is fellowship, learning more about our Brothers, and spending time. Sometimes the discussions are lighthearted about some of the education that was presented. Job promotions, retirements, and victories. But other times they are not. There are ...
“If you want to be a leader, you must be a servant first.” — Lao Tzu Within Freemasonry, there is no shortage of titles, offices, and honors. In the Symbolic Lodge alone there are officers ranging from the Stewards to the Master. Beyond that are the degrees of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the Shrine, and numerous other appendant bodies. Then there are District Deputies, Grand Lodge officers, committee chairmen, and more titles than most of us could ever hope to remember. But do those titles really mean anything? Yes and no. They deserve respect because they represent service. We should honor those who give their time, energy, and effort to the Craft. Yet the title itself is never the important thing. The work behind it is. In fact, the greatest title you will ever receive in Masonry is not Worshipful Master, Grand Master, Sovereign Grand Inspector General, or any other distinguished office. The highest and most noble title is bestowed upon you the very first day you enter the Temp...
Earlier today I saw a comment on a post I made in another Freemasonry group… and right on cue, the “trolls” showed up like it was their full-time job and someone rang the dinner bell. Attacking not only Freemasonry, but me personally. Which, honestly, is impressive—because it takes real dedication to misunderstand that much all at once. So to the “trolls,” I want to take a moment and say: thank you. No really… thank you. Because if I didn’t have something of value, you wouldn’t be investing this level of energy. I mean, nobody rage-types essays about things that don’t matter. That’s not trolling—that’s unpaid marketing. Now, I’ll admit, it took me a while to get here. There was a time when I’d get fired up. You know the feeling—neck tight, blood pressure rising, fingers hovering over the keyboard like you’re about to type the Constitution 2.0. I felt like I had to defend Masonry. Turns out… I don’t. Masonry doesn’t need me to defend it. It’s been doing just fine for a few h...
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