The Sacredness Of The Lodge

It must be protected

We are taught that there are two forms of Masonry. Operative and speculative.

Operative Masons build sacred spaces in the physical world.

Photo by Irina Shishkina on Unsplash

Speculative Masons build sacred spaces in the spiritual world.

We do that building of sacred space through our ritual.

Our Lodge rooms, in and of themselves are not sacred. Nor should our Lodge buildings, our Masonic Temples be confused with the Lodge. The Lodge is the assemblage of Masons meeting together. While doing so, these Masons, through our ritualistic work, create a sacred space.

That is what our opening ritual does. By properly engaging with it, we transform that which is secular, the physical space we are in, and indeed our inner selves from the secular to the sacred. We dedicate the space and our own beings to that which is of the divine. We do this in order to labor in the sacred work of alchemically transmuting ourselves from the rough ashlar towards the perfect ashlar. To go from being good men to better men.

Our closing ritual does the exact opposite. It closes the sacred space in which we are operating, returning that space to the secular and material. That which is sacred and divine is dispersed through our ritualistic work, including the clapping that traditionally follows the final rap of the Master’s gavel.

We go through this vital, and if properly done, hard work of creating this sacred space for a time, and then returning the sacred to the profane.

But what do we do within that sacred space once it has been created?

What should we do within that sacred space once it has been created?

These are, I think, questions of fundamental importance that we as a Craft must consider if we hope to transmit a bright and thriving Freemasonry into future generations.

If we think about it honestly, from a pure perspective, I think we have to admit to ourselves that currently, in almost all Lodges, at almost all times we:

Do the work, building a sacred space.

Then we cram that space full of the mundane, the material, and the profane.

After profaning our sacred space, we close it.

What I mean to say is that we Open, then the vast majority of time is devoted to business or other secular matters, and then we Close.

But what do we promise to men considering Freemasonry?

We promise them that we offer the means and a model for self betterment. That we offer an alchemical system of spiritual improvement. That we offer a sacred space in which men can learn from and encourage one another in a shared quest to a mythical East. That we can help a good man achieve his goal of becoming an even better man.

What do we give them instead, in far too many cases?

The business, planning, and outside activities of the Lodge.

If what we promise these men is so radically different from what we provide them is it any wonder that so very many never advance from Entered Apprentice to Fellowcraft? Can we be surprised by the fact that so many are dropped NPD each year? Should it not be expected that the overwhelming majority of Freemasons are inactive Freemasons?

Freemasonry is struggling badly today, indeed has been struggling for over sixty years now, precisely because we do not provide that which we promise.

The solution to the problems we face is clear, if we recognize that fact.

It is important for me to say that none of this is anyone’s fault.

This is a fault in our system itself, not in the Masons working within that system.

The rules of the Grand Lodge of Washington, and I presume in most if not all Grand Lodges throughout the United States, require that all Lodge business be conducted while Lodge is Open at a Stated Meeting.

The sacred spaces created by our Lodges through our ritualistic work are overrun with mundane and profane matters simply because there is no other legal mechanism for Lodges to make these decisions and deal with these things.

I would argue that this was not a problem in the earlier days of our Craft, when these rules were created.

It wasn’t a problem then because our Craft did not own massive real estate investments, Temples that require vast amounts of maintenance and care. Our Craft then did not manage industrial sized, institutional charities. There just wasn’t all that much business to take care of or to worry about. Similarly those Brothers of long ago didn’t face the same requirements of recordkeeping and reporting needed to stay on the good side of the government and its tax man.

But the world changed.

Our Ancient Craft grew.

Masons wanted to meet in beautiful, purpose built Temples.

We sought to take the teachings of the Lodge outside of it through large scale charitable works.

There is nothing at all wrong with any of these things. Our error was in not recognizing that we needed somewhere to do and handle these things outside of the sacred space of our Stated Meetings.

That is what I propose.

I propose that we amend our Masonic Codes to create a secular space in which Lodges can perform their secular work.

Business meetings specifically for those purposes, removing all that is mundane, material, and profane from the sacred space existing between our ritualistic Openings and Closings.

Stated Meetings, that sacred space that exists within our Opening and Closing rituals should be short. They should contain nothing more than Degrees, Masonic education, mentorship, fellowship, and those other things that serve to help a Mason along his quest towards self betterment. That help him to become a better man tomorrow than he is today.

Everything else that a Lodge does should take place within business meetings, created and called for that purpose, and existing without ritualistic work.

A clean separation between the sacred and the profane.

Here in the Jurisdiction of Washington, this will require action at an Annual Communication to change the Washington Masonic Code. I presume that most United States Jurisdictions would require similar changes in order to make it possible.

Are you with me?