Random Building Thoughts - 2023-12-14

  

-------------- HUMOR 1 --------------

-------------- MASONIC EDUCATION --------------

-------------- COMMON SENSE --------------

Common Sense Masonry...
You'll Only Attract
High Quality New Members
by Developing High Quality
Within your Current Members.
You'll Never get the Former
without the Latter.

 For Further Light:

Mastery!

 -------------- COACH'S CHALLENGE --------------

THE COACH'S CHALLENGE

Many Jurisdiction Digests refer to Freemasonry
as a "Religious Organization"
and have thus obtained
this Governmental classification.

Freemasonry has many Symbols
used within its Rituals.
By implication,
would this classification
make these Symbols Religious?   

-------------- COMPASSION --------------

"The principle of compassion
is that which converts disillusionment
into a participatory companionship.
This is the basic love,
the charity,
that turns a critic
into a human being
who has something to give to
– as well as to demand of –
the world."

-- Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss

-------------- TRUTH --------------

Don't Fear Speaking your Truth.
Fear that you're Surrounded
by Those who would Kill a Messenger
rather than Deeply Think
about any Message Unwelcome.

-------------- HUMOR 2 --------------

 

Come On?
Admit it!
This is you!

-------------- THIRST --------------

 

(Hat tip to Bro. Shawn D'Ignazio!)

-------------- WAGES --------------

 

FILED UNDER:

The Builder's Wages 

 

"Moreover I make a decree
what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews
for the building of this house of God:
that of the king's goods,
even of the tribute beyond the river,
forthwith expenses be given unto these men,
that they be not hindered.

 

"And that which they have need of,
both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs,
for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven,
wheat, salt, wine, and oil,
according to the appointment of the priests
which are at Jerusalem,
let it be given them day by day
without fail:

 

"That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors
unto the God of heaven,
and pray for the life of the king,
and of his sons."

-- Ezra 6:8-10

-------------- SOUL --------------

Masonry:
Bringing Order to Chaos
One Believing Soul at a Time

-------------- DEFINITIONS --------------

Nonsectarian (adjective)

 

1. not affiliated with or limited to or associated with a specific or particular religious denomination or belief

2. not narrow-minded, especially as a result of rigid adherence to a particular sect; broad-minded

 

Sectarian (adjective)

1. of, belonging, pertaining to or relating to, or characteristic of sects or sectaries

2. narrowly confined, devoted to or narrow-minded, especially as a result of rigid adherence to a particular sect

3. narrowly confined, adhering to or limited in interest, purpose, scope, etc. to a particular sect, faction, or doctrine 

 

Sectarian (noun)

1. a member of a sect or faction, especially one who is bigoted in his adherence to its doctrines or in his intolerance towards other sects, etc.

-------------- MYTHICAL GLORY DAYS --------------

The Mythical Glory Days
of Freemasonry
have Captured the Hearts
and Minds of men
for Generations.
The Reality of its Practice
has yet to truly Manifest
its first Creation.
Will you be the one
to Cause the Glory
to Occur for Real?

 -------------- PLUG -------------- 

 

1. For what reason and purpose was Adam created?
   
   
2. If you were told that the original sin
   was not disobedience,
   what steps would you take to find out what it was?
   
   
3. Would you be interested to know that disobedience
   was not the reason for Adam & Eve's eviction?
   
   
4. How did at least one Biblical man make it to Paradise
   by doing what Adam & Eve didn't?
   

For Further Light:
The Light in the Garden

-------------- END --------------

 Be Well and Travel Light!

-- Coach Nagy ;-)

 PS: Subscribe to get daily notifications

You can also find me on:

https://mewe.com/i/john_snagy

https://www.facebook.com/johns.nagy

Educational Materials can be found here:

 http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnSNagy 

 

 

 

 

Random Building Thoughts - 2023-12-13

 

-------------- TOUCHING HUMOR --------------

-------------- INDOCTRINATION --------------

When you Provide Indoctrination
and not Education
and have the Majority
Accept it Willfully,
you'll fill your Ranks
with Mindless Minions.

 -------------- Inner Guards --------------

Oh, for want of sanity's tests,
Our ranks rank deep in madness.
It's not upon the knocking hordes,
But those who guard our Inner Doors.

"On an increasingly frequent basis
I find myself painfully aggrieved by seeing,
hither-and-thither,
walking testaments to the abject failure
of several investigating committees."
-- Bro. Anthony Mongelli

-------------- PLUG --------------

 <snicker> Are you a Ridin' Man?

The Craft UNMASKED!
Enjoy the Ride!

Found Here:
http://www.coach.net/TCU.htm

-------------- VEILS --------------

How Many Veils
Have You Lifted?

-------------- M-E-T-A-P-H-O-R!--------------

When Symbolism
is Taken as Actual,
the Message
Remains Safely Hidden.

-------------- WORD ROOTS --------------

Manage (v.)

~1560s, probably from It. maneggiare "to handle,"
especially "to control a horse,"
ultimately from Latin noun manus
"hand" (see manual (adj.)).

Influenced by Fr. manège "horsemanship"
(earliest English sense was of handling horses),
which also was from Italian.
Extended to other objects or business from 1570s.

-------------- TRUE PRACTICE --------------

 

Horses go where
the Water is.
No Water, No Horses. 

Masons go where
Building is needed.
No Building. No Masons

 "A friend once described the danger,
in masonic practice,
of what he called ‘displacement activity’,
that is, engaging in activities
that divert us from the true aim.
Concentrating on the appearance of masonic practice
– rank, precedence, minor detail, hierarchy and structure –
may cause us to lose sight of what real Freemasonry is,
what Freemasonry can do,
what it surely must do in each one of us,
in order to be effective.
Some will say that this is too serious,
that it takes the fun out of Freemasonry,
but I promise you, the rewards are immense,
and they ensure that we will never again
need any constructs in our lives.
It can ensure that, in amongst the wood,
we will begin to see real trees,
and chart our progress
by the way we interpret each one of them.

"We should not be fooled.
We should mind the gap,
stop it becoming wider, try to bridge it,
to give our Craft a greater sense of its true aim,
and through that to find our own path to Truth."
--W. Bro. Julian Rees
PM of Kirby Lodge No. 2818, London
Past Junior Grand Deacon,
United Grand Lodge of England

-------------- GENTLE REMINDER --------------

♫ When you're happy or unhappy ♫ you're the cause <clap clap> ♫

♫ When you're happy or unhappy ♫ you're the cause <clap clap> ♫

♫ When you're happy or unhappy ♫ and you really want to own it ♫

♫ When you're happy or unhappy ♫ you're the cause <clap clap> ♫

  -------------- BOOK #16 RELEASED IN HARDBACK!!! --------------   

 JUST IN CASE YOU
DIDN'T HEAR THE GOOD NEWS!

MY 16th BOOK 

IS PRINTED IN HARDBACK 

 and BEING SHIPPED!

The Craft Mastered!  

paperback is available!

HARDBACK COPIES
ARE HERE

PLEASE put your orders in now 

if you would like a copy

 for your collections.

You can order it here:

PAPERBACK COPIES HERE

Also, please share the link 

if you want to inform others

of its availability.

Thank you in advance!

Coach Nagy

 

Are you all caught up 

on your reading?

-------------- END --------------

 Be Well and Travel Light!

-- Coach Nagy ;-)

 PS: Subscribe to get daily notifications

You can also find me on:

https://mewe.com/i/john_snagy

https://www.facebook.com/johns.nagy

Educational Materials can be found here:

 http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnSNagy 

 

 

 

 

Random Building Thoughts - 2023-12-12

  

-------------- REMEDIAL EDUCATION --------------

Been saying this for years...

(Hat tip to Brothers Tony Microwave Bonner‎
via "All Things Masonic", Jakin BD and Oscar Alleyne,
and the unknown Mason who drew the characters.)

 

BTW - If you truly want
to understand the degrees, 

you might be interested in this:
The Craft Mastered!

-------------- MASONIC EDUCATION --------------

-------------- HUMOR 1 --------------

-------------- GOALS --------------

 Have You Touched
Your Horizon Yet?

 

-------------- INTELLIGENT --------------

 

Intelligent men Seek to Understand
how others Accept things
without Limiting their own Understanding
to what others have Accepted as Unwavering.

Ignorant men Condemn others
for daring to Think differently
even when those Thoughts
are Well-Founded.

 -------------- RUFFIAN MENTALITY --------------

Ruffian Degree Mentality:

1st Degree:
Here are the messes and bad habits
that will hold me back
if I don't learn to distract others
from seeing them.

2nd Degree:
Here's what will make me look dumb
if I don't learn how to fake being smart.

3rd Degree:
Here's the title that will give me benefits
that I don't want to earn
and embolden me to dismiss anyone
who dares defy me.

(Inspired by "Building Ruffish -
Uncommon Field Guide
for Uncommon Masonic Education
- volume 6"
found here:
http://www.coach.net/BuildingRuffish.htm)

-------------- HUMOR 2 -------------- 

 

 

 

FAT MAN DOWN!!!! FAT MAN DOWN!!!

-------------- BE BETTER OFF! --------------

So many Freemasons
would be so much Better off
if they had the Stones to Do the Work.
You can see very quickly those that do.
They are much Better for their Efforts.

 -------------- WHEN YOU HAVE THEM --------------

Masonry: 

Work for Men With Stones

-------------- INSPIRATION --------------

-------------- GRASP! --------------

-------------- BOOK EXPERIENCE --------------

"My lodge started a new study group this year and we chose this book for our first discussion and dialogue. It was our intent to tackle new material for each meeting. Brother John S Nagy's Craft Unmasked caused us to abandon that thought. We had a second session to continue digging deeper into the book.

"Everyone loved it. It's must-read for every Brother."

-- Bro. Mike Clevenger, PM
|New England Lodge No. 4,
Columbus, OH 

 

Found Here: http://www.coach.net/TCU.htm

-------------- THE PURPOSE -------------- 

Freemasonic Ritual directs males
to first Perfect and then Raise themselves.
The Purpose of these two activities
is to ready them for the Serious Study
of Theology and Philosophy,
of which are profanely manifested as Religion and Politics.
This is the reason for the discussion proscription
of Religion and Politics within lodges.
Such discourse within any lodge
is premature for all those who have yet to do
the Work toward which Ritual Directs them.

-------------- END --------------

 Be Well and Travel Light!

-- Coach Nagy ;-)

 PS: Subscribe to get daily notifications

You can also find me on:

https://mewe.com/i/john_snagy

https://www.facebook.com/johns.nagy

Educational Materials can be found here:

 http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnSNagy 

 

 

 

 

Random Building Thoughts - 2023-12-11

 

 -------------- BABEL --------------

Babel best exemplifies "idolatry"
in that men often confuse words with things.

Masterful Masons look through the veils
that are manifested by words
and into what is truly being communicated behind them.

Words are but veils for the messages they conceal.

The Tower of Babel is where Masonry was lost.
When you understand what the story of Babel conveys,
and what Masonry makes effort to undo,
you lift the Veil of the Allegory
and begin Traveling
upon Masonry's Road.

If you want The Word,
the first step is to stop your babbling!

 -------------- MASONIC EDUCATION --------------

-------------- FAITH / HOPE / LOVE --------------

-------------- MOST DIFFICULT -------------- 

-------------- POWER --------------

-------------- PURPOSE --------------

I: What is the real purpose of the process of initiation?
 R: To Assure that it Clearly Introduces the Initiates
to what Should BE Done
and to give an Opportunity to Commit to Doing It;
Nothing more;
Nothing less.

For Further Light:
a-brother-asks-initiation-and-mysteries

-------------- ZEALOTS --------------

 It was only after Zealots
were heard Talking about Religion and Politics
that it was soon thereafter
Proscribed from Lodges.

 For Further Light:
a-brother-asks-proscribing-religion

 -------------- MYTH --------------

-------------- BRAIN TEASER --------------

Can you figure it out the message?

 -------------- MATH --------------

“Math is a Language
that is the foundational basis
of the Mirror of Consciousness.
Within its taxonomy,
Numbers are words,
Constants are verbs
and its syntax is organized by Geometries
inscribed within Circles and Spheres.”
– Science Math

-------------- PURPOSE --------------

It may take a Lifetime
to Find your Life's Purpose
Only to Realize
It was just a Beginning

For Further Light:
the-coaches-coach-traveling-men

-------------- HAPPINESS --------------

 Yep! And, equally <chuckle>,
if I want to be offended,
no one has the right to stop me

-------------- REPLACEMENTS --------------

It would be an interesting & revealing
Fraternal experiment for Lodges
to insist any leader in office train his replacement
and only be allowed to vacate his office
when 100% of the Lodge believes that his replacement
is Ready, Willing & Fully Able
to fill the position to be vacated.

-------------- BOOK REVIEW -------------- 

Here is my full review of The Craft Unmasked as shown on Amazon:

 

Being a Mason, I devoured this book in three days. And being like so many Masons the world over, perplexed as to the true historical origin of our Craft and Freemasonry Ritual, I couldn't wait to get to the core of what the author presented. Brother John S. Nagy simply stunned me with his findings. 

 

The analytical research he compiled backs up his claims so logically that it's hard to refute. What he sheds a spotlight on simply makes sense if you are a member of this fraternity, have gone through the three degrees, and have expected so much more but now find yourself sitting through boring business meetings at lodge.

 

In a clearly understandable writing style of short chapters and short bursts of information, Nagy answered many questions – and disillusionments– I've had since joining Freemasonry over a decade ago. Good men join to improve themselves, to better their character, to become self-reliant, self-sufficient, self-regulated, to learn moral lessons and apply them to their time as players on the stage of life.

 

Now I know why Freemasonry struggles with retaining its membership and how much work a Brother truly must put into his own personal "Mysteries."

-- Bro. Michael Karpovage

 

Found here: TCU

  -------------- END --------------

 Be Well and Travel Light!

-- Coach Nagy ;-)

 PS: Subscribe to get daily notifications

You can also find me on:

https://mewe.com/i/john_snagy

https://www.facebook.com/johns.nagy

Educational Materials can be found here:

 http://www.coach.net/BuildingBuilders.htm 

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnSNagy