In the Lodge as it is in Heaven: In a moment of Reflection

After visiting a few lodges during my vacation, I was indeed in ready state to get back to my own lodge, the MIGHTY J. C. Logan Lodge #53 (MWPHGL of Washington) and absorb the energy of home. Tuesday night sitting in the Senior Wardens station in the West, I came into a powerful revelation during the Chaplain's opening prayer.

I have heard the opening and closing on many occasions and never directed my attention to the wording of the prayer; this is why I am a firm believer that PROFICIENCY IS SO VITAL to the full impression of the ritual upon the heart and mind of the observer. The prayer was done in such a way, that it captured my hearing and propelled me into a state of reflection on these words:

"So HARMONIZE and ENRICH OUR HEARTS with Thine own Love and Goodness, that the Lodge AT THIS TIME may humbly REFLECT THAT ORDER AND BEAUTY which reigns forever BEFORE THY THRONE."

It is easy to get philosophical and deep, losing the practical force of the meaning in all of the rhetoric. The simplicity of the revelation reached deep into the core of my being and ushered in a new found zeal for proficiency and the ritual itself.

One of the definitions of Harmony is: pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts.

The Ritual, the opening and closing is suppose to function as a PLEASING or CONGRUENT ARRANGEMENT of movements and dialogue for the purpose of Spiritual and mental enrichment. We are to be left with an impression which we may not readily be able to explain at the immediate, but being embedded by the ORDER AND BEAUTY, it is meant to make a DEPOSIT into out hearts and mind. Once we get to a place of reflection, it comes to the forefront like a flood and imbues us with the LIGHT and KNOWLEDGE that can be applied to our lives.

The Chaplain invoked the spirit of harmony to move upon the lodge and its members that the Proficiency in the dialogue and the movements of the officers are releasing knowledge and imparting wisdom for those who are available to receive, who are IN TUNE with that ORDER AND BEAUTY.

I envision the Order and Protocol of Heaven as I read it in the collective Volume of Sacred Law as an elegant display of Beauty. Seeming effortless movement and symmetry. The angelic host in constant rotation, with breathtaking order, and consistent dialogue.

I would study Tracing boards and draw from the symbolism there; the revelation received sent me back to one particular Tracing Board:

first degree tracing board

Notice how on both the picture of Jacob's Ladder and this tracing board, the heavens are open, and there is a CONNECTION or a JOINING of the two with a ladder. I was drawn to the Altar and heard the words, "Your heart" and saw the hand with the pointed finger to the Three great lights. I heard, "On your heart".

And suddenly, it dawned. The Altar is representative of the heart as well, on it (or in it) is the Principles of faith and the Emblem of Morality and Conscience. If we so harmonize our hearts and minds, as well as our lodge with the those Principles, then there will open for us a window in the heaven that will connect us to spiritual and applicable wisdom. We will find our lives and minds in ASCENSION, and Light and Providence DESCENDING upon our assemblies.

How important is the symmetry of our movements in the Lodge? in a study by Fogassi & Ferrari (2011) and Rizzolatti &Craighero (2004), it was found:

"Underlying this gesture watching effect might be the activation of brain areas (i.e., the human mirror neuronsystem [hMNS]; Fogassi & Ferrari, 2011; Rizzolatti & Craighero, 2004) that are typically used to observe, understand and imitate the actions of other persons. In a related line of research, a current hypothesis that has recently received considerable attention (e.g., Ayres et al., 2009; Van Gog et al., 2009) is that the stimulation and involvement of this hMNS might be beneficial for learning about complex continuous aspects with dynamic visualizations."[1]

What this is saying simply is that gesture watching (watching MOVEMENT) taps into a part of our brain and mind that unlocks learning about dynamic and complex concepts. Could this be the key to understanding why the Opening and Closing are important? that they both open the mind and unlock certain potentials, so that whatever we can provide in the way of education and impartation in between the two will be deposited and embedded in the heart of the observer?

I mean if we believe in a Supreme Being, can we not expect him to communicate to us and through us? is God's presence restricted from the Lodge room? If so, then why Pray His presence in the meeting?

Freemasonry is a PROGRESSIVE SCIENCE, and all science doesn't have to be EMPIRICAL, it needs to just have a definable result and influence.

I am now, very zealous to have J. C. Logan's proficiency elevated, I believe that when we take seriously our Science, we will see a defined shift in the dynamic of the Lodge, and began to witness observable encounters with the Divine. We will be able to retrieve the deposit of the Light generated in the lodge room, and apply it to our personal lives and find all of the REAL WAGES: Love, peace, happiness, contentment, balance, etc.

I truly believe that the right environment will open the heavens and merge the two worlds together, and we will be able to access our fullest potential. the purpose of the Lodge will be truly realized: TRANSFORMATION.

Written by Worthy Brother John L. Hairston, Grand Chaplain

MWPHGL of Washington and Jurisdiction

J. C. Logan Lodge #53, F. & A.M. (Junior Warden)

Endnote:

1. Watching Gestures during Learning about Movements with Dynamic Visualization Activates the Human Mirror Neuron System: A fNIRS Study, http://mindmodeling.org/cogsci2013/papers/0471/paper0471.pdf

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