Unity-Addison - May 20, 2007
T.F.S.
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
By Ed Halpaus, Grand Lodge Education Officer.
Number 99 – May 20, 2007
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
I don’t believe the accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings…Sisterhood and Brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.
Maya Angelou
Unity: Just How Important Is It?
By: Bro. L.C. Addison II
Montgomery # 258
Minnesota A.F. & A.M. GL Education Committee
I recently attended a Worship Service at a Minneapolis Church and found it to be quite informative. The Brother, who I attended with, had asked me to go earlier and I was quite hesitant to say yes. When he asked a second time, I finally agreed to go. Needless to say, after the service was over, I was glad that he had convinced me to go.
My change of heart was due to the message I received while I was there. It had to do with unity and how important it was to have in order for our spiritual path to be complete and our physical path to be relatively trouble free. It emphasized that in order for us to be in unison with the Creator we had to have our lives in unity and free from discord.
The pastor emphasized many scriptural texts that drove home to my heart the importance of Unity in the daily workings of life. One especially caught my attention. It comes from a certain text we may notice from Psalms 133 that states: “Behold! How good and how pleasant it is For Brothers to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious oil upon the head. That is running down upon the beard. Even Aaron’s beard. That is running down to the collar of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, that is descending upon the mountains of Zion. For there God demanded the blessing to be. Even life forevermore.”
It is important that the happiness of brotherly love is compared to the "dew of Hermon, which descended upon Mount Zion". In which connection it may be noted that in no other locality of Palestine is the dew so heavy and abundant as in the vicinity of this mountain group.
In ancient times, precious oil was used an anointing or confirmation of God’s chosen one and as an act of hospitality, as Jesus was anointed in the house of the Pharisee (Luke 7:38, 46). It was the custom of the Jews in like manner to anoint themselves with oil, as a means of refreshing or invigorating their bodies.
So we can see from these passages that Unity plays a very important part in our spiritual lives. Indeed being in unison is at the very core of Freemasonry. It is unity that gives us pride to be Brother Masons, knowing that we walk a path that our ancient Brethren once walked before us. It is with unity we know that we can go anywhere on this mortal sphere and find a Brother, who through certain signs, a token, a word and the perfect points of our entrance, will admit us into their lodge as a Brother who calls that lodge home.
By dwelling together we confirm ourselves as brothers united together in our search for truth. During that gathering we invigorate each by having that listening ear to listen to instruction and a fellow Brother. Exercising that instructive tongue to impart wisdom and speak from the heart. As the Volume of Sacred Law says at Proverbs 15:23: “A man has rejoicing in the answer of his mouth and a word at the right time is O how good”. Finally we use the faithful breast as a repository for not only the secret of Freemasonry but also the confidence entrusted by our Brethren. So remember to strive to be in unison with another. Upon the level with love helping your Brother. In closing,
We stand as a force, united together.
In rain and snow
Not only fair weather.
As Brothers we stand united forever.
Traveling on the level,
To that undiscovered place.
Not regarding our Brother for his money, fame or his race.
But standing and living by the golden rule.
Until one day we lay down all our working tools.
To the glorious light of yours we hasten
As your creation, your children and as Freemasons.
“I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”
Frederick Douglas
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.
“In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.”
Richard Baxter 1615-1691
Consensus tollit errorem = [Latin] = Consent removes error.
From the Great Light of Masonry: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalm 133 King James or Authorized Version.
This paper can be read in PDF format at www.mn-masons.org and then click on TFS
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
By Ed Halpaus, Grand Lodge Education Officer.
Number 99 – May 20, 2007
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
I don’t believe the accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings…Sisterhood and Brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.
Maya Angelou
Unity: Just How Important Is It?
By: Bro. L.C. Addison II
Montgomery # 258
Minnesota A.F. & A.M. GL Education Committee
I recently attended a Worship Service at a Minneapolis Church and found it to be quite informative. The Brother, who I attended with, had asked me to go earlier and I was quite hesitant to say yes. When he asked a second time, I finally agreed to go. Needless to say, after the service was over, I was glad that he had convinced me to go.
My change of heart was due to the message I received while I was there. It had to do with unity and how important it was to have in order for our spiritual path to be complete and our physical path to be relatively trouble free. It emphasized that in order for us to be in unison with the Creator we had to have our lives in unity and free from discord.
The pastor emphasized many scriptural texts that drove home to my heart the importance of Unity in the daily workings of life. One especially caught my attention. It comes from a certain text we may notice from Psalms 133 that states: “Behold! How good and how pleasant it is For Brothers to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious oil upon the head. That is running down upon the beard. Even Aaron’s beard. That is running down to the collar of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, that is descending upon the mountains of Zion. For there God demanded the blessing to be. Even life forevermore.”
It is important that the happiness of brotherly love is compared to the "dew of Hermon, which descended upon Mount Zion". In which connection it may be noted that in no other locality of Palestine is the dew so heavy and abundant as in the vicinity of this mountain group.
In ancient times, precious oil was used an anointing or confirmation of God’s chosen one and as an act of hospitality, as Jesus was anointed in the house of the Pharisee (Luke 7:38, 46). It was the custom of the Jews in like manner to anoint themselves with oil, as a means of refreshing or invigorating their bodies.
So we can see from these passages that Unity plays a very important part in our spiritual lives. Indeed being in unison is at the very core of Freemasonry. It is unity that gives us pride to be Brother Masons, knowing that we walk a path that our ancient Brethren once walked before us. It is with unity we know that we can go anywhere on this mortal sphere and find a Brother, who through certain signs, a token, a word and the perfect points of our entrance, will admit us into their lodge as a Brother who calls that lodge home.
By dwelling together we confirm ourselves as brothers united together in our search for truth. During that gathering we invigorate each by having that listening ear to listen to instruction and a fellow Brother. Exercising that instructive tongue to impart wisdom and speak from the heart. As the Volume of Sacred Law says at Proverbs 15:23: “A man has rejoicing in the answer of his mouth and a word at the right time is O how good”. Finally we use the faithful breast as a repository for not only the secret of Freemasonry but also the confidence entrusted by our Brethren. So remember to strive to be in unison with another. Upon the level with love helping your Brother. In closing,
We stand as a force, united together.
In rain and snow
Not only fair weather.
As Brothers we stand united forever.
Traveling on the level,
To that undiscovered place.
Not regarding our Brother for his money, fame or his race.
But standing and living by the golden rule.
Until one day we lay down all our working tools.
To the glorious light of yours we hasten
As your creation, your children and as Freemasons.
“I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”
Frederick Douglas
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.
“In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.”
Richard Baxter 1615-1691
Consensus tollit errorem = [Latin] = Consent removes error.
From the Great Light of Masonry: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalm 133 King James or Authorized Version.
This paper can be read in PDF format at www.mn-masons.org and then click on TFS
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Labels: Symbolism