Welcome back! I bet you thought we were taking a little
break during the summer months! Not John W. Barkley Lodge, we’ve only been
slightly less busy than during our normal operating months. It started with a
really, fantastic outdoor raising on July 1st. The officers have been meeting
almost weekly in some way or another to improve as officers and sure up the
future leadership of the lodge. We had a wonderful evening out with the North
Olmsted Rainbow Girls for Putt-Putt and Ice Cream at B. A. Sweeties. Later in
July, we also heard a stellar Master Mason Exam. In August, we began the first
steps of a long-term project to renovate and update our Kitchen. Most recently,
we held our Autos 4 Autism Classic Car Show, which was well received and stands
to become a regular family friendly summer event.
Inevitably, the sun continues to rise and lodges return to
labor. We still have many events planned for the brethren and our families. One
that I’m very excited about is our Harvest Fest.
Pot Luck Dinner on Oct. 11th. I hope to see many of you
there as it will be a great opportunity to enjoy the company of our families
and some great food. For a full list of the upcoming events, be sure to check
out the Trestle board.
Ask, Seek, Knock
“Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you.”
I’ve been contemplating this passage lately and I took
something a little different away this time. The three words ask, seek, knock
all share something in common. These words are all verbs, and even more
importantly they are calls to action.
Ask: I
have a friend who tells his children that “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” Perhaps a nicer way to think of this in
relation to the craft is that if there is something missing from your
experience at lodge; let someone know who has the power to affect change. Don’t
be afraid to ask the hard questions, or to request the counsel of those who
have already forged the path that you are on.
Seek: This
word is particularly interesting, and requires a certain amount of self-motivation.
Seek, and ye shall find, this is the only part of the verse that is not two
sided. When you ask, someone answers, and when you knock the same is true. But there
is no one who responds to the “seeking”. The significance of this is enormous.
The act of seeking is a very personal experience and the only one who can
assist or hinder your progress is yourself. Whether you are seeking for the
deeper mysteries of Freemasonry or just learning to be an effective leader for
your lodge, you cannot rely on an individual or even a group of individuals to
provide the answers. They are found through steadily persevering and constantly
searching. The most important thing to remember is that you are required to act
and if you never find what you are looking for, then there is no one to blame
but yourself.
Knock:
Only after asking and seeking, are you permitted entrance. Knocking provides a
certain amount of closure to this verse. By this point you have asked and made
your intentions known, you have sought and proven yourself, and your
willingness to put in the work and necessary effort. The open door is a reward
for the actions being taken in earnest.
So, make your intentions known, put in the work that is
needed to succeed in your goals, and receive the rights and benefits fitting of
such a worthwhile endeavor.
Scott D Clark - Worshipful Master
