| Master's Message |
| Haddonfield - Cherry Hill Lodge #15, F&AM Haddonfield Masonic Temple 16 Kings Highway, East Haddonfield, New Jersey 08033 856-428-4193 njlodge15@yahoo.com Regular Communication: Third Tuesday of each Month |
| Time, Talent and Treasure Brethren: When I was in Portsmouth, Virginia this summer visiting a retired teacher friend, I attended the historic Trinity Episcopal Church founded in 1761. On the cover of the church bulletin was the Stewardship pledge to be: Reminded in our worship, today, of the graces of God always near, with joy I pledge again to the ministry of Trinity, before God and this company, a portion of my time, talent and treasure. It struck me how remarkable it is that similar institutions have similar goals and needs. If we substitute parishioner with Mason and church with the lodge, they could be interchangeable. When a man joins Masonry, we all know he has to dedicate time in the hours of work that memorization requires to develop his talent to then achieve the treasure. Even after the degrees are completed, time, talent and treasure are intertwined. As a young man, a Mason might have the energy to devote to lodge projects, but he may not have developed his talents and amassed his monetary treasure enough to easily share the graces of God. A Mason with young children may wonder where the time goes as he develops his role as caretaker of the treasure of his family. He may need to take a diminutive part in the Lodge while he is needed at home. In mid-life, a Mason might have the time and the talents to enjoy the treasures of the Lodge while he develops monetary treasures to make his family secure. This is the most active time for a Mason, as his talents and treasures multiply by the grace of God. A Mason should be the beacon from which the light flows, as he shares his time, talents and treasures. Your talent may be a treasure that you share as your time as an officer or one who takes a major role in Lodge life. In later life, the lapse of time and the ruthless hand of age often cause a Mason to be less energetic. This is when a Mason may instruct others and share the goodness of the treasures of God with his fellow creatures by supporting the Lodge and its projects financially. Eventually, the sands of time run out. A Mason is called to that Grand Lodge on High where the earthly talents and treasures do him no good. Sharing God’s Benevolence by leaving memorial gifts honors your life with a material presence in the mortal world. Throughout the stages of life, the ebb and flow of time, talent and treasure change. Allow yourself the time for introspection, the talents to share with the fellowship of the Lodge, and the treasure shall be the pleasure of a life well spent in the Lodge by the grace of God. Sincerely & Fraternally, David R. Leeds, WM 2007 |
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| E-mail: drleeds@netzero.net |
| E-mail: njlodge15@yahoo.com |