It's About Time!

My brethren, again I've been distracted by some of my responsibilities and haven't been able to devote time to my website and blog. But fear not, "content" is coming! I have plans and ideas and I hope that as of this weekend to be able to turn my attention to them!

I am finishing up final edits on the fourth edition of my Education Manual and hope to have a working copy posted on my website within a week. It is also going out for publication for the first time ever, but I will have a copy available for those in my local masonic districts that might want it.

I have some plans for my website too. I will be loading more of my reference documents into my Library and I have some plans for the first official "revamp" for my Home page (or landing page if you prefer).

I am also finishing work on the Masonic Chart I built for Valley-Hi Lodge. I have assembled the final form and I am finishing up the key to read it. I hope that by mid September it will be ready to be published.

And finally, I have some other ideas and papers in the works, so I really want to spend some time on those. It seems that things may slow down somewhat as far as my lodge and DEO responsibilities go, so perhaps there is a chance I can start catching up on these - time will tell!

Speaking of "time", we symbolically acknowledge the centrality of time through two of our most visible symbols: the 24-inch Gage and the Scythe.

We learn the twenty-four inch Gage is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to measure and lay out their work. But we as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. It being divided into twenty-four equal parts, is emblematic of the twenty-four hours of the day; which we are taught to divide into three parts, whereby we find a portion for the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, a portion for our usual vocation, and a portion for refreshment and sleep.

While the Scythe is an emblem of time, which cuts the brittle thread of life and launches us into eternity. Behold! What havoc the scythe of Time makes among the human race; if, by chance, we should escape the numerous evils incident to childhood and youth, and with health and vigor arrive to the years of manhood; yet withal, we must soon be cut down by the all-devouring scythe of Time, and be gathered into the land where our fathers have gone before us.

We learn through our journeys about these masonic symbols that represent Time. But once we internalize those symbols, do we find that Time itself is a symbol? YES! Once we layout and measure our Time against the twenty-four inch Gage under the pressure of the knowledge the Scythe is in the wings, waiting its time, we then look at how our time is divided across the twenty-four inch Gage and we now have an illustration, using Time as the symbol, of the priorities we have set in our journey. If we study our twenty-four inch Gage and find that 75% of our time is allotted to our usual vocation, then that allocation of Time becomes the representation of the priority in your life and journey. You will see clearly that your life, in that case is about your vocation and little else. So how you are investing your time across your own twenty-four inch Gage becomes the symbol of your journey.

Few of us are able to claim 33 as our symbol, representing a twenty-four inch Gage evenly divided among our three core areas (God & distressed brother, vocation, sleep & refreshment), but we must determine the priority and symbol of our life and our journey. There is no standard for which of the three is most important, or any standard "correct" allocation of our time. Our time should be controlled - to the extent possible - by ourselves, and it should be divided in such a way that the priority of our life is clear, obvious, and prioritized they way we want. When we do the analysis to determine how Time is representing our own particular life, we should then be prepared to make decisions. Is our life and our investment of time what we want and need it to be?

It is up to us, individually, to take stock of the imminence of the Scythe against the remaining time on our twenty-four inch Gage and adjust our labors and pursuits accordingly. Only we know the particulars of our lives and of our journeys and only we can make changes in the allotment of time to shape our journey into what we hope and want it to be. The question for each of is is this: can we, can I, ensure that my Time represents the life and the journey I want and need, and do I have time before the Scythe to make the necessary adjustments to allow me to live the life I most want and need?

Ponder this well my brother, I am!

((NOTE: You might look for this in a longer "Paper" form in the near future))