tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6628299238534654620.post5090778130964717224..comments2024-01-16T17:49:50.776-08:00Comments on The Relevant Mason: Necessity of Change and Constancy of TruthCliff Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08225842898777528860noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6628299238534654620.post-43807972478602193412007-12-09T13:25:00.000-08:002007-12-09T13:25:00.000-08:00I agree Brother. I would never advocte a change t...I agree Brother. I would never advocte a change to ritual...I was pointing out how beautiful the system works. We have ritual as a tool to keep the Truth constant...I just don't like certain things never changing under the guise of tradition. Thank you for the well thought out post Brother.Cliff Porterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08225842898777528860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6628299238534654620.post-44526421838823982582007-12-08T15:04:00.000-08:002007-12-08T15:04:00.000-08:00The problem is, this presumes that there is someth...The problem is, this presumes that there is something innately wrong with tradition. Now, tradition simply for the sake of tradition, with no understanding is kind of stupid, but sometimes, traditions create the camaraderie that we want and need in freemasonry.<BR/><BR/>For instance, there is a kind of unofficial tradition in my lodge, at a certain point in opening, the JW raises his right hand to the heavens as he intones: As the sun at meridian height...<BR/><BR/>Its telling, its humorous, and it is a tradition... partly because the grand lodge ritual forbids it... sort of, and because Wr. Art Philamarie did that one night by accident as he stood in the South.<BR/><BR/>So today, in commemoration of that, and in camaraderie with our worshipful brother, we carry on that tradition. It serves to bind the officers together, and is something you will only see in my lodge.<BR/><BR/>Marriage is a tradition that I do not think anyone would like to see done away with, as are many family traditions, like Grandma baking a pumpkin pie HER WAY for easter and so on.<BR/><BR/>I take your point about getting into a rut, but the ritual we work as we initiate, pass and raise a brother are traditions, as are the tenets and teachings of our ancient and honorable institution.<BR/><BR/>We should be careful what we allow to become tradition, that's for sure, and we should be careful that we never allow the phrase: because that's how we have always done it to become a mantra... but neither should we be afraid of them.<BR/><BR/>its about balance.Theron Dunnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08071430921547904160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6628299238534654620.post-80050258291852202792007-11-13T13:39:00.000-08:002007-11-13T13:39:00.000-08:00A good analogy for this I believe is hiking thru t...A good analogy for this I believe is hiking thru the woods...you have a compass which tells you what direction to go..you take a reading, and head out...because of barriers and obsticals along the way you are forced to change directions ever so slightly...and from time to time you check your compass, take a reading, and check to see if you have gotten off course...and posibly need a course correction...Masonry is the same way...we take a reading...head out, and necessarily change bits here and there, but every-now-and again need a bit of course correction to get us back ONTO the right Path which is the Constant path of Truth.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02993889879812772839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6628299238534654620.post-45700570079005988532007-11-12T07:44:00.000-08:002007-11-12T07:44:00.000-08:00"The only difference between a rut and a grave is ..."The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth."<BR/><BR/>I love that and it is so true. I just wish I could go back to being a teenager when I knew everything and all the lessons I learned that hurt were somebody's "fault". :)Cliff Porterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08225842898777528860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6628299238534654620.post-80738584675538711372007-11-12T01:00:00.000-08:002007-11-12T01:00:00.000-08:00A wise old-ish Grand Master once cautioned me, "th...A wise old-ish Grand Master once cautioned me, "the deadliest thing that a Lodge can say is, 'come to our 10th annual – ANYTHING.'"<BR/><BR/>The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.com