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The Feast of Tishri: From the Booth to the Temple
The Feast of Tishri is one of those Masonic observances that can seem distant until we stop looking at it as a historical event and begin looking at it as a human journey. At first glance, it is a celebration connected to an ancient Jewish festival, the dedication of King Solomon’s Temple, and the traditions…
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Between Two Stones
By W. John Barling Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 Every Masonic symbol teaches a lesson, but every Mason eventually discovers that some symbols begin teaching different lessons as the years go by. One of the greatest privileges I’ve had during my years in Freemasonry has been serving as a Circuit Lecturer. Through that experience,…
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A Loose Apologetic Reconciliation of Omniscience, Predetermination, and Free Will
Human beings have spent thousands of years trying to reconcile three ideas that appear, at first glance, impossible to hold simultaneously: The tension is obvious. If an omniscient being already knows every action I will take, then in what meaningful sense am I free? And if the future is already determined, how can responsibility survive?…
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The Formation of the Biblical Canon: How the Bible Actually Came Together
The formation of the biblical canon is one of the most important—and most misunderstood—developments in Christian history. A common assumption is that a single council decided, once and for all, which books belonged in the Bible. That idea is not only overly simplistic—it’s wrong. The reality is far more complex, and far more interesting. The…
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What Is Freemasonry and Why Does It Still Matter Today?
By: W. John Barling Secretary of Hyde Park 370 You may have heard the name before. You may know someone who is a Mason. You may have felt a quiet pull toward something older, steadier, and more meaningful than most modern organizations. Freemasonry has endured for centuries because it addresses needs that never go away,…
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How to Attract and Retain Younger Freemasons (Without Turning the Craft Into a Theme Park)
Every few years, Freemasonry collectively asks the same anxious question: “How do we attract younger men?” The usual answers follow a familiar script: loosen the dress code, modernize the website, maybe run a Facebook page that gets updated once every six months. None of it works particularly well, and retention remains the bigger problem than…
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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 9 – The Officer’s Journey
By: W. John Barling, Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge No. 370 August 2025 When a Brother takes his first step into a Lodge chair, he is not just accepting a title. He is beginning a journey. Many see the officer line as a ladder, a progression of stations and honors leading to the East. But…
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The Mystery of Ethiopia in Masonic Ritual: Why the ‘Bad Guys’ Fled to Ancient Cush
One of the most intriguing yet overlooked details in Masonic ritual appears in the Master Mason degree, where the guys who did the thing attempt to “escape to Ethiopia through the port of Joppa.” [parpahrased on purpose]. For generations, this specific geographical reference has puzzled Masonic scholars and members alike. Why Ethiopia? Why not simply…
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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 8 – Brotherhood Is a Verb
By: W. John Barling, Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370May 21, 2025 We use the word “Brother” a lot in Freemasonry. We say it in Lodge, we write it in our communications, and we often refer to it as the bond that sets us apart from other organizations. But it’s easy to forget that “Brother”…
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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 7: The Real Work of a Mason
By: W. John Barling, Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 In our last chapter, we explored the Lodge as a sacred space. Not just a building, but a place where the values of Freemasonry come alive through how we treat each other, the ritual, and the space itself. But that reflection naturally leads to another…