Thoughts About Prayer
Within the Lodge
A prayer of the Athenian people:
Rain, rain, dear Zeus;
rain on the cornfields
and the plains of Athens.
Prayer should be thus simple and open, or not at all.
-Marcus Aurelius
Last Saturday we had an Entered Apprentice Degree conferral at the Lodge in my town. We had lots of guys attend and assist from neighboring Lodges, so it was an excellent Degree, with plenty of folks there to welcome our new Mason.
A great Degree, all around.
One of the men who came to help was a new Mason from Seattle.
Either due to poor planning on my part, or someone unable to attend, I’m not sure which, we ended up without a Chaplain for Opening and Closing the Lodge.
Our new Mason stepped up to fill the role.
Here in Washington, we do have prayers in our Standard Work for both Opening and Closing the Lodge. But, they are suggested prayers. They don’t have to be used, any prayer that is in keeping with the Masonic principle of reverence for all religions can be used appropriately.
Most Lodges do have the suggested prayers printed out on laminated cards, and most Chaplains read these prayers at the Altar. I have no idea where these cards are at in the Lodge in my town. So our new Mason was flying blind.
The thing is, he did great.
He walked up to the Altar, knelt down, and gave us a prayer from the heart, relevant to the Masonic work that we were engaged in that day.
And isn’t that better than using a generic prayer, designed to be OK for any occasion at all?
As I’ve mentioned here before, I was raised Roman Catholic. So I certainly understand the concept of pre-written prayers, recited untold millions of times, by untold millions of people, over the course of centuries, even millennia.
I wonder though, if in a Masonic context, simple humble prayer, addressed to the work at hand is not better.
As I listened to this new Mason pray, the Gospel of Matthew came to mind:
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” -King James Version
I once saw a Lodge competition won by answering the question, “How many times does the Chaplain ‘beseech’ the Supreme Architect of the Universe in the opening and closing prayers?”. The answer, as many times as he wants.
In our Jurisdiction, the Chaplain is given much leeway in crafting prayers. Through his words, men of God are given the opportunity to meet in peace and enjoy fellowship together. His words become their words, and must ring true to all in attendance.
Whether he is brief or verbose, his words must assist in uniting Brothers to form a Lodge. Brevity in routine prayers might be appropriate, but in memorials and other occasions, the prayer should provide sufficient opportunity for thoughts and feelings to linger.
It is an interesting quirk of Masonry that, in the middle of paragraphs of ritual that should be given letter-perfect, space is opened for ingenuity and thought. This allows the Chaplain to address a moment, purpose, or event relevant to the evening.
Generic (lacking specificity) prayers seem appropriate in a Masonic context. Words given by Chaplains over decades should be recited with pride. New prayers may be a delightful treat, but should be well thought out in advance.
Personally, I think the ritual is important. It's as much for the brothers present as it is for communication to our creator. We pray in lodge. Most important, to me at least, is the recognition of the many times unrecognized importance of the masonic Chaplin. I would encourage you to read Dr. Robert Elsner's book "On Being a Masonic Chaplain".
The role is of incredible importance and much like you said, often overlooked. This role is rarely taken seriously, and rarely enabled by the lodge or WM. Take a few hours and check out this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Being-Masonic-Chaplain-Robert-Elsner/dp/B09TMYW7ZF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HDGTO9BITBPE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.IO7GaiqZt-Y_zrRDpell5YJsc8waZkThYeErFJ-vPhc.KWFAcSEm3dXstSLyNo2LB6FHjoRg7pwZFKBexlmfylM&dib_tag=se&keywords=masonic+chaplain+robert+elsner&qid=1733757364&sprefix=masonic+chaplain+robert+elsner%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-1