Masonic Tombstone Dedication Address

Tonight, the brothers of William J Sherman council #141, Allied Masonic degrees will dedicate a new tombstone honoring Worshipful Brother James Wilson, the first Master of Lancaster Lodge #57, Free and Accepted Masons, Operating under the Grand Lodge of Ohio.  Brother Wilson served as a surgeon in the War of 1812 and as an early town council member.  He died in 1823 at the age of 43.  His original tombstone was destroyed by vandals some years back.  What follows in my address from the event:

FREEMASONRY: AN INTRODUCTION

 



Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest fraternity. It is dedicated to the promulgation of those ethical values which are shared by so many of the world’s great religions, and to the idea that all men are created equal. It is our belief that people of different religions and political persuasions ought to be able to live in peace and work together to make the world a better place.

While the origins of freemasonry are lost in time, modern freemasonry dates to the early 1700’s in England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was there that gentlemen who did not make their living in the building trades sought to join the free stone mason’s guilds to share in their fellowship and to experience the ethical lessons which were taught in their initiation ceremonies. Those ceremonies, called degrees, are three in number. The first introduces a man to the great truths of natural law and holy Scripture as the bases for a life lived well. The second teaches the importance of education and equality, and calls all men to work for the common good. The third is more reflective in nature, and calls us as Masons to consider those things which are truly important in life, such as fidelity, courage, and faith.

While Freemasonry requires belief in God from all her members, she is not a religion, because she does not teach a way of salvation. Rather she encourages all men to practice faithfully the religion they profess, and to work for the betterment of society with all men of good will, whatever their religion. Freemasonry certainly has proprietary information, mostly modes of recognition which stretch back to the days of the cathedral builders' guilds, or unions. But she is not a secret society, because her meetings and buildings, and her basic teachings, are public knowledge. The great secret of freemasonry is not a buried treasure or a conspiratorial meeting, but relates more to how good men seek to better themselves and live for the good of others.

Brother James Wilson, like many of the builders of our county and town over the years was a faithful freemason who served his nation in war and his community in peace. We are proud today to honor him, and we hope that one day, it might be said that we have followed faithfully in his footsteps. Thank you for joining us today as we dedicate this stone to his memory.

My Public Declaration Against Ignorance, Tyranny, and Coercion

Zerubbabel: by Guillaume Rouille

Some years ago, I assumed the dramatic personae of Zerubbabel, a prince of the house of Judah.  In that noble character, I was invested with a sword, to remind me "to deal justly by all men."  As I write tonight, that sword rests in the corner next to our family altar.  It still reminds me that all men are created in the image of God, and that I ought to respect that image in them, even when they obscure it by bad choices and worse actions.

Over the past few years, I have noticed a growing trend in the world to coerce people to behave in certain ways, and even to adopt certain opinions.  It occurs all across the political spectrum, and is especially noticeable in religion.  People observe others who do not share their opinions or ways of doing things, and withdraw from them.  Then they believe things about them which may have a grain of truth, but are largely built on unfounded suppositions and untested data.  Then they slander them publicly without ever speaking to the objects of their scorn or mistrust about their motives or actions.  They ridicule or question the faith or goodwill of any who will not join in the boycott of their perceived enemies.  They reinforce their mistrust by talking amongst themselves and reproduce their hateful attitudes in their children and ideological disciples.

Great institutions crumble as one ideological party excludes all others, and as opinions become increasingly extreme.  Control is determined to be the only way to security.  Security is valued to such a degree that liberty is curtailed in the name of safety.  And one day we all awake to discover that Orwell and Huxley were the true prophets of the last century.  We find ourselves slaves, who when asked by those in control "What is the sum of two and two?" sullenly reply, "Whatever you want it to be."

Across the centuries, many good men have assumed the character of Zerubbabel, and of Constans, and Hiram, and others.  Those men have included George Washington, Benito Juarez, Simon Bolivar, Aleksandr Kerenski, Emilio Aguinaldo, and Guiseppe Garibaldi.  They came from widely differing backgrounds, but they all believed in liberty and in the dignity of the individual human being.  They were willing to take a chance that good people working together could do great things without being forced or bullied.  I am glad to stand today in their train, and to publicly decry the growth of despotism around the world.  I am glad to publicly disassociate myself from the common practice which seeks security at the cost of liberty.  And I am glad to publicly reaffirm with them the belief that all people are worthy of respect because they are made in God's image. 

Even if a person is wrong, even if he is dangerous, our common humanity demands that we respect him for who he might become and what he might be if he lived into his creator's image.  This is not to say that the evil and the destructive should not be resisted and made responsible when they are a credible and present danger to others.  But it is to say that even the worst of us are made in God's image, and ought to have the opportunity to live into our potential via the responsible exercise of freedom, which is liberty, the birthright of us all.

This is the reminder of my sword, the sword of an Irish Knight Mason.  It is at the very heart of Freemasonry, my fraternity and that of my father.  Today, we masons are under attack by many well meaning people in the name of religion.  They repeat conspiratorial half truths, and in some instances outright lies about us.  In their fear and search for certainty and stability, they blame the Craft, or the Jewish bankers, or the opposing political party, or the foreign menace, or some alien religion or culture.  Although I count many such folks as my friends, very few of them have ever asked me to explain why I am a Mason or what we teach and believe.  I imagine my experience is not that different from that of others in many groups which have been singled out for marginalization or exclusion by members of some other group.

"The School of Athens"
by Raphael
Where the study of truth and honest inquiry led to wisdom.
An example for all of us.

In closing, I would issue a challenge to everyone who reads this posting.  Find a person who is identified as a member of a group you say bad things about.  Engage them in a spirit of honest inquiry.  Learn what they really believe and what they are really like.  Then refrain from spreading falsehoods and half truths about them.  I predict that if we all do this thing, it will be a better world, and we will learn to respect each other again.  While our differences will remain, we will not be so quick to hate or devalue each other.

A New Masonic Year Begins in Lancaster

With the passing of summer each year, the masonic fraternity comes back to life after having "gone dark" for the hot months of  July and August.  I don't know why the lodges go dark in the summer, but they always have everywhere I have been active.  Perhaps it has to do with the oppressive heat in the second floor meeting rooms which tend to predominate in midwestern American Craft Masonry.  And I'm not sure where the term "going dark" comes from.  I've heard theories, but like so many things in masonry, they are just that- theories to be tossed about without enough evidence to make much of a definitive statement.

Tonight, I met with my brothers of the Allied Masonic Degrees, a research society dedicated to the preservation of a handful of degrees no longer in general use in the English speaking world.  It was a convivial evening, conducted in the drawing room of our local Lodge.  One of our borthers brought greetings from our brothers in Brazil, where he had recently traveled to address the members of the Order of DeMolay, a Masonic youth group based on the storied heroism of Jaques DeMolay, the last grand master of the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, the famed Templars.  It was fascinating to hear his narrative of Brazil and her Masons, and the discussion turned rather effortlessly to the fraternity in Mexico, where our brother spent a significant portion of his early life.  I learned much, and to be with friends in such a setting of brotherhood was comforting and uplifting.
  
Even in this election year, and during the national convention of one of our leading political parties, the brothers observed that longstanding masonic admonition to refrain from arguing about politics and religion at lodge.  The discussions continued for a good hour after the meeting adjourned, and the talk was of plans for benevolence, fellowship, and ritual performance in the various lodges, chapters, and commanderies represented for the ensuing year.  Laughter and good will flowed freely, as they so often do in our fraternity. 

Over the past 27 years, I have fellowshipped with my Masonic Brothers on three continents and all across this great land.  The men with whom I have laughed and learned and served have represented all of the world's great religions, vastly differing political opinions, every social class, and every income and educational level.  We  have come from many nations and represent every color and race.  But by committing ourselves to respect each other and by working together to achieve those goals which are common to all good men, we have been able to maintain friendship in spite of our differences, without demanding that anyone give up his core beliefs to work alongside of us.  (That is unless those core beliefs include intolerance, tyranny, or lack of respect.)  We are committed to stressing that which is common, good, and true; and to respectfully permitting differences of opinion in religion, culture, and politics.

It is not such a bad way to live with one's neighbors, and I am thankful that having passed the darkness of the summer recess, we are together again. 

The Eve of the feast of St. Mary Magdaline

Today has been a wonderful day.  After a quick round of chores at the barn, I showered and drove to Mingo Lodge in Logan for a planning meeting of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.  It was good to see old friends and to share ideas for the coming year.  The theme for the day was building character and virtue in the lives of the members of our fraternity.  Such a positive time together was a welcome relief from some of the events of the past couple of weeks.

I returned home to check my e-mail and find this wonderful picture of my grand-daughters, Margaret and Helen, taking their snack together.   Then it was out into the garden to pick tomatoes and peaches and cucumbers, some of which made a delightful lunch.  At about 3:30, Tristan called just to say hi.  It was good to hear him sounding so happy and contented.  I think his carefree joy has something to do with some girls he met from Austria.  It is so good to see him experiencing civilian joys in peace and safety.

Then Rebecca and I drove up for Vespers with our friends at Holy Cross Carpathian Orthodox Church in Columbus.  Sometimes it is good to meet God from the perspective of a layman.  Then we finished out the day by eating at "Chick Fil A," as much as a political and moral statement as anything else, but their food is good. (see http://m.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38271 if you need some background on the company and the controversy surrounding them.)

From there it was just home, chores (all eight Speckled Sussex Hens laid an egg today!), some time with Scott's "Fair Maid of Perth" and a wee dram of Sherry on the porch surrounded by the dogs, and now it is almost time for bed.  Such an Eve of the Feast of St. Mary Magdaline I cannot remember!

PS: for those who may wonder, Squirt the Shetland Pony has completely recovered from her brush with founder and is back on pasture with her friend Princess, the Thoroughbred-Arab Cross.

A Perfect Weekend

The weekend began Friday evening with a casual dinner at the Pub with my Cousins from Cladaugh Council #86, Knight Masons- Irish Constitution.  After a wonderful board with pipe and whistle music to mark St. Patrick's Day, we repaired to the Lodge and conferred the Babylonian Pass on one candidate.  The courage and steadfastness of Zerrubabel and the other Jewish Captives as they sought to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem has always inspired me, and this night was no exception.  We then returned to the pub for convivial fellowship and plenty of time to renew old friendships and make new ones.

Saturday Morning began early at Lancaster Chapter #11, Royal Arch Masons.  Two candidates received the Royal Arch Degree, one of the most sublime in Masonry, and for a change, I was priviledged to sit on the sidelines and see the degree in its entireity.  It was a grand opportunity to reconsider my own dedication to God, and to consider those things that are truly important in life.

The afternoon brought several hours in the garden with my beautiful wife Rebecca.  I divided siberian Irisis and lined the lower north walkway with these diminutive and beautiful plants while Rebecca planted primrose along the east walks as a transition to the conical boxwoods which define our grand-daughters' secret garden.

The evening found me clad in saffron kilt with bottle green socks and tie and day wear jacket at the home of good friends Steve and Camille for their annual Irish dinner.  Beef pie, taties, cabbage and corned beef, lamb, garden peas, and desserts to die for filled the board, and the evening was finished off with cigars and Irish malt, and discussions of faith and fraternity with our hosts and friends Danny and Julie.  Such an evening spent with fellow Anglicans and Freemasons was both uplifting and inspiring.  I returned home with peace in my heart towards all men.

On Sunday morning I preached twice, and on this fourth sunday of Lent considered the life and ministry of Archbishop Rowan Williams, who announced his resignation from the see of Canterbury this week.  While I disagreed with this good man on many things, I have always found in his life and ministry real inspiration and challenge.  In what many might consider this most difficult time for our Communion, he sought to keep us together while providing safe havens for minority faith communities within the communion.  He attempted to lead us into a rational and loving structure which would define our faith and make us more accountable to each other.  And he sought to defend the historic faith received against what at times seemed overwhelming cultural odds.  His gentle counsels were often rejected by those who might have profited the most from hearing them.  I wish him the best as he re-enters the academic life.

After Church, Rebecca and I joined Bill and Nancy, friends and parishoners for a lovely breakfast at Shaw's Restraunt across the street from the church.  The eggs Benedict were splendid, and the asparagus was perfectly steamed.  The conversation strayed from ++Cantaur to the Parish Gardens to the Iraqi Rowing Team, for which Bill is an advisor.  My soul was refreshed by the good work and beauty that surrounds me.

From lunch, we went to the Funeral Home to pay our respects to Jan, the sister of our friend Carole.  Her illness was long and terible and now she is at peace.  Even in times of loss, it is good to see a family where love is so evident in the lives of all.

The day concluded with Choral Evensong at St. John's.  Our choir was joined by choristers from Trinity Newark, St. Paul's Logan, and Holy Cross Carpathian Orthodox Church in Columbus.   The setting, including the Mag and Nunc, was composed by Kathy Heim,  our Choir mistress, and one of the featured hymns was written by Thurlow Weed, our Organist.  To hear the people of so many parishes gathered in worship employing their own original compositions truly gave me a deeper understanding of liturgy as the work of the people.  As we gathered for a light lenten repast in the undercroft, I gave thanks again for God's soverign decision to post me to this place at this time.

I came home to relax on the back porch with a gin and tonic and a bowl of MacBaren's Navy Flake.  The dogs and I watched the lightening show for the better part of an hour and a half, and now we have all retired to the chapel/study to share the weekend with you, my gentle readers.  It is good to dwell in such a place and with such people.  I pray that all who read this post might find such joy in the realities of your own lives.  Surely God is among us here, and we are a people blessed. 

More Light

Last weekend, T and I went to Columbus where he experienced the basic degrees of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He entered the gentle craft shortly after his graduation from high school, and before he left for the Marine Corps. While he was home on convalescence leave after the second tour to Afghanistan, he and Danny Meenach, an old friend of the family, were made Mark Masters and initiated into the mysteries of the Holy Royal Arch. And now he joins so many others as a Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret. Exquisite and self-important titles apart, the higher degrees of the Royal Craft are designed to transmit those lessons of responsible manhood which are so often not passed on in society in any age. Personal responsibility, dedication to God, high minded citizenship, commitment to your own beliefs and principles while tolerating and understanding those of other people, and the brotherhood of man, are all taught in the higher degrees. While the French degrees of the Scottish Rite tend to be a bit more emotive and radical than the stately experiences of the British degrees of Mark Master and Royal Arch, they are every bit as profound, and their Gallican flavour stirs the soul to great ideas and greater deeds. It is good to go with my son to a place where good men gather to learn more about being better. The feel of an all male lodge is different from other venues for the transmission of values I have known. It is more primal, and more visceral in some ways. I am glad to be able to pass on to my son what I received from my father. In spite of creaking knees and failing memory, growing older has its own set of blessings that I could never have known as a younger man. For such blessings I am eternally thankful.

Address at My Lodge Installation

I would like to thank my installing officers, Worshipful Brothers Wil Browning, Henry Hunt, Paul Scholl, and Frank Stuck, for agreeing to preside over our ceremonial this evening; Worshipful Brother Clark Brown for serving as our photographer, and Worshipful Brother Ed Jackson for delivering the introduction to Masonry oration to our guests. And my thanks to the Color Guard from Lancaster Commandery #2 Knight’s Templar for presenting the colors. To Kathy Heim for singing our National Anthem. To Julie Meenach, Alma Priddy, and Roseanna Bush for preparing and serving our reception. To my wife Rebecca for allowing me the time to be a Mason. To my parents, who taught me the value of our Fraternity from as far back as I can remember. And to all of you for coming to share this night with us, the officers and brethren of Lancaster Lodge #57 Free and Accepted Masons of the Grand Lodge of Ohio.
And I would like to thank the brothers of this lodge for the confidence you have placed in me by electing me to be the master of this lodge for the ensuing year. I pledge to all of you that I will do my very best to bear the responsibility of governance of this Lodge with a spirit of humility, and that I will strive to create an atmosphere wherein brotherly love, relief, and truth prevail. I shall do my very best to avoid any temptations to coercion, anger, strife, or any other vice which could become a threat to liberty, equality, or fraternity among us. It is said that we as Masons meet upon the level of equality, act by the plumb of uprightness, and part upon the square of virtue. I pledge to you my best efforts to accomplish these lofty goals together, as brothers and as equals.
Freemasonry originally attracted me because of its clear and unyielding commitment to the values which have built and maintained our culture: personal responsibility, personal liberty, and the worth of every man; judgement and value based on a man’s character and actions, and not on his birth, wealth, or worldly position; a willingness to respect the religion and political sentiments of others even when we disagree with them, and to work with them to build a better society; respect for Diety and a commitment to the belief that there is a common set of values enshrined in Natural Law which is self-evident to all good men; an understanding that we are responsible not only to God, but to each other; and finally, a deeply held conviction that The Great Architect of the Universe has created a world characterized by harmony and order and reason, which leads us to the inescapable conclusion that reasonable discourse and harmonious behaviour are always preferable to fanaticism and strife.
There are those who say that these principles, principles on which our western culture is built, are outdated and that the time has come for them to be radically reinterpreted, or even jettisoned and remembered only as relics of some idealized and misguided past. Men of the West, I would submit to you that this is neither the time nor the place for such foolish notions. More than ever, the world stands in need of the virtues taught and upheld by our ancient fraternity, and I thank you for the opportunity to lead in this holy work.

A Time for Remembering

Rector’s Rambling: November 2009

November is a month for family remembrances. All Saint’s and All Soul’s call me to remember those who have gone before. They will be especially introspective days for me this year. Veteran’s day always calls me to remember the heritage I have received and sought to pass on to my children. Thanksgiving, while a civil holiday and not on the church kalendar, arouses in me some of the most godly thoughts I am likely to experience in the course of a year. The approach of Advent calls me to consider again what the coming of Jesus into the world means to me and mine. The celebrations are not as large or as commercial as those surrounding Christmas and Easter, but perhaps they are in a way more introspective and in some ways more painful, and more blessed than those great public feast days of our faith.

“Anticipating that the normal course of events will take place in Lancaster,” I will experience another important family day this November. I wish with all my heart that my dad could have been here for it, but God had another posting for him, and so I shall reluctantly content myself with the knowledge that one day we will perhaps be able to talk about it in heaven. On the 20th at 7 PM, given the above caveat, I will be installed as the worshipful master of Lancaster Lodge # 57, Free and Accepted Masons. Like my father before me, I am blessed to be a part of this ancient fraternity whose members are dedicated to the promulgation of brotherly love, relief, and truth to all people of good will, without regard to their political party or religious creed. If you are free that evening, I would invite you to come to the Temple at 224 South High Street for the ceremony and reception to follow. I have often said that as the Church brings me Jesus Christ in the sacraments, and the Regiment taught me the true meaning of virtue, so the Lodge schools me in that morality which has built and maintained our culture. I hope you will be able to share the evening with me.

May November be for you a time of holy thoughtfulness. May you take the time to remember those with whom God has blessed your life. May you shed a blessed tear, and go forth to walk in the way of God, and to do the work He has given you to do.

Sincerely,
Bill+

Focusing on What is Important

Last night, I attended a meeting of the William Reece Chapter of the Allied Masonic Degrees, a research society and convivial fellowship group. Much of the discussion centered around some wonderful artifacts owned by a member of the group, which he brought for show and tell, and the propensity of many in our fraternity to engage in wild and unsubstantiated rumors, not to mention the occasional "conspiracy theories" and even the occasional goofy religious concoction (my choice of words.) It was an enjoyable evening, and was over before we seemed to get started. As I drove home, I began to generalize the discussions and lessons of the evening to my faith, and to my citizenship, and to life in general. Distraction seems so often to be the normal state of human affairs. My wife once threated to get me a sweatshirt which on the front said "I have ADHD" and on the back "Oh look! A chicken!" I sometimes think there are many folks who could honestly wear such a shirt. It all seems rather humorous and harmless enough, but is it? What of that one who takes aside a young Mason, or a young Christian, or a recent graduate from basic training or boot camp, who has just completed a life altering experience in degree or baptism or training, and leads them to believe that which is marginal at best and distracting at the worst. The elder Mason who leads a young man to believe that the true secret of Freemasonry is the identity of the Merovingian line of Kings or the location of some archaeological artifact, or the Bishop who counsels a new Christian that their persuit of a deepening personal relationship with Jesus Christ is "the western heresy," or the NCO who plys a young boot with alcohol and the club scene to the degree that he or she forgets his responsibility to serve the common good of humanity as a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, coastie, or agency rat of what President and Brother Theodore Roosevelt called "The Greatest Republic Upon Which The Sun Ever Shone"; I would argue that that person falls within the paramaters of that group which our Lord said would be better off drowned in the depths of the sea. To cause one who is full of idealism and passion for good to be distracted and to turn from that motivation and dedication is indeed a sin against God and against man. I pray that I will always be on guard not to be among that number. Rather let me concentrate on the basics of my beliefs. With a firm reliance upon Almighty God, with a clear and reasonable mind, and with a genuine concern for truth and for all whom God has made, I pray that my love of liberty, of personal responsibility, and godly charity might be an encouragement and a model for many. So Mote it Be.

The Excellence of Brotherly Love

Psalm 133: An Exhortation to Brotherhood, by Bill Pursley
Delivered before William J. Reese Chapter 148, Allied Masonic Degrees April 29, 2009, and preached with some modifications at St. John's Episcopal Church on June 21st of that same year.

The excellence of brotherly love is one of the first lessons exemplified in Freemasonry. Psalm 133 is brief and direct:

A Song of degrees of David

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 forevermore.

The lessons taught in this Psalm are obvious, but a deeper examination of the history and use of this Psalm in Hebrew devotion provides a rich insight which often eludes the casual reader.
The heading to Psalm 133 tells us that this is a Psalm of David, the King of the unified Jewish Kingdom from 1011 to 971 B.C.[1] It was a turbulent time, chronicled in the Books of First and Second Samuel. David had been anointed the nation’s future king by the prophet Samuel quite unexpectedly when he was still a young man, if not an adolescent boy. During Israel’s wars against the Philistines, he had come to the attention of King Saul when he fought and defeated the Philistine champion Goliath in single combat. As David’s popularity grew with the people, Saul sank deeper and deeper into paranoia that sometimes led to instability and violence. David was driven from the royal court and lived in the wilderness with followers until the death of Saul. After a brief and bitter civil war, he returned to the capital and “all Israel rallied to him” (2 Samuel 5:1-19). He reigned from Jerusalem, or Mount Zion, until he was expelled from the city when his son Absalom rebelled against his authority and attempted to seize the throne. The king’s restoration was accomplished at the cost of his son’s life. In contrast to the joy and apparent unity of that day when he entered the Holy City as Israel’s king, much of his reign was characterized by war, palace intrigue, and family discord.
Some scholars maintain that Psalm 133 was written by King David during the celebrations of his enthronement after Saul’s death. The theme of fraternal love and God’s blessing would certainly fit this contention. Others argue that the Psalm is written later in David’s reign, when an older and wiser man, who has lived through so much heartache and difficulty, yearns for that brotherly affection and peace which could have, and should have characterized the city during his kingship; “for there the Lord commanded the blessing…” Derek Kidner, in his commentary on the Psalms, notes the irony of such a situation. David, who began his reign with the support of Israel’s tribes and with God’s blessing, found his capital to be a place of discord and family rebellion (2 Samuel 11:1).[2] Perhaps the contrast between the ideal of a kingdom of brotherhood and blessing, and the reality of how human beings so often fail to get along, contributed to the regular use of this Psalm (a Psalm of Degrees, or Song of Ascents) by Jewish pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem.
Throughout Jewish history, and especially after the Babylonian captivity, which lasted from 605 B.C. to 538 B.C.[3], Jerusalem was viewed as not only a political capital, but as the place on earth where God chose to dwell among his people. It was seen as a holy place, blessed as the chosen site for the great temple which had been built by King Solomon between 966 and 959 B.C.[4] and rebuilt after the Persian king Cyrus had allowed Zerubbabel to lead the people back to their promised land in 538 B.C.[5] It became customary for the Jews to travel back to Jerusalem for the great feasts of the religious year. All roads literally led “up” to the city of Jerusalem, which was built on Mount Zion. Hence the songs that pilgrims sang along the way were known as “Songs of Ascents”, or “Psalms of Degrees”. These 15 songs are found in Israel’s hymnbook, the Book of Psalms, and are Psalms 120 through 134. The arrangement of these Psalms of Ascent seems to be very intentional, and nowhere is this sense of purpose more evident than in Psalms 132, 133, and 134.[6] In all probability, these were the last three Psalms sung upon the approach to the Temple mount. Psalm 132 recounts King David’s burning desire to build a temple where the Ark of the Covenant might rest in fitting splendor. Psalm 133 proclaims the earthly reign of peace and brotherhood which ought to accompany the enthronement of God himself in his chosen city. Psalm 134 describes the worship of God, led by the priests he has anointed, in the Temple that was built at his command. Thus the pilgrims, whose lives, like David’s and like our own, so often fall far short of the ideal, proclaim what ought to be. In the traditions of their ascent to the Temple they acknowledge what by God’s blessing can be, as they approach the very mercy seat of God for the great festival.
The details of Psalm 133 develop and enrich this picture of ‘brethren dwelling together in unity.’ The blessings of brotherhood are first compared to the holy anointing of the high priest Aaron, recorded in Exodus 29. The elaborate ceremony of installation underlined the sacred and important nature of the priest being set apart for God’s use. The anointing oil is particularly vivid in this context. The oil described in Exodus 30:23-24, was made of myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia lignea, and olive oil. “The odor of this must have been very agreeable, and serves here as a metaphor to point out the exquisite excellence of brotherly love.”[7] As the beautiful aroma of the oil washes over the priests head and limbs in profusion, filling the air with beauty, so fraternal love and harmony demonstrate God’s blessing among his people.
The second image of blessing is that of the life giving “dew of Hermon.” The heavy dews of the area of Hermon were proverbial well into modern times. In his notes upon Calvin’s commentary on the Psalms, the Rev’d James Anderson quotes Maundrell’s “Journey”. “We were sufficiently instructed by experience what the Psalmist means by the dew of Hermon, our tents being as wet with it as if it had rained all night.”[8] The image is clearly one of brotherhood, which gives life every bit as real as that given by regular and heavy watering in an arid and stony locale.
The final, and perhaps most significant image to be examined in this paper, is stated directly in the Psalm, and underlined by the grammatical structure and vocabulary of the passage. It is the Lord who commands the blessing of fraternal cooperation and bliss, and it is the Lord who grants it. In the examples of the anointing of Aaron, and of the falling dew, the word translated “ran down”, “went down”, or “descended”, occurs three times. Each time the initiator of the action, or blessing, is not the recipient, but one who is beyond and above the recipient.[9] In short, it is God who gives the anointing, it is God who sends the dew, and it is God who imputes brotherhood, with all of its blessings, into our common life. Fraternity, like all true blessings, comes ultimately not from our efforts, flawed and imperfect as they are, but from the Great Architect of the Universe.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
The Lord bless thee and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
Numbers 6:22-27

May we, and all regular masons be so blessed. AMEN.

[1] R.K. Harrison, Old Testament Times, 191.
[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, D.J. Wiseman ed., 453.
[3] Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, 275.
[4] Nelson, 1231.
[5] Nelson, 653.
[6] Adam Clark, Commentary on Ps 134. 530.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Calvin 163
[9] Kidner 453