# Church Visitation



## Dontrell Stroman (Nov 30, 2017)

GL of State Brothers, I have a question. It is a common practice amongst PHA masons especially in the south to go visit churchs on the 4th Sunday or a schedule Sunday of the month. This practice is where brothers of a lodge or district go to a church to fellowship. Is this a practice in GL of state Lodges as well ??

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## Ripcord22A (Nov 30, 2017)

We did it quite a bit in NM usually on ST JOHNS days but also for other events as well


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## Dontrell Stroman (Nov 30, 2017)

Was it a even at church or did yall "Go to church" to worship ?

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## goomba (Nov 30, 2017)

Maryland encourages it's lodges to attend a place of worship around St. Johns day.


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## Bloke (Dec 1, 2017)

Travelling Man91 said:


> GL of State Brothers, I have a question. It is a common practice amongst PHA masons especially in the south to go visit churchs on the 4th Sunday or a schedule Sunday of the month. This practice is where brothers of a lodge or district go to a church to fellowship. Is this a practice in GL of state Lodges as well ??
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS997 using My Freemasonry mobile app


We never do this at my Lodge - but GL does it, normally to the place of Worship of the GM - so its been a mix of Churches and Synagogues.. .I would expect it would be off to the Mosque of our GM was of that faith.. but most of the time, it seems to be Church of England. I like the idea - but never go.. When it is done - it is rare, normally once or twice a year..


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## MRichard (Dec 1, 2017)

Not in any of the lodges I have been in.


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## Ripcord22A (Dec 1, 2017)

Travelling Man91 said:


> Was it a even at church or did yall "Go to church" to worship ?
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS997 using My Freemasonry mobile app



Are you asking me?  We went to an actual church.  Once we went to a monastery out in the NM desert.


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## Dontrell Stroman (Dec 1, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Are you asking me?  We went to an actual church.  Once we went to a monastery out in the NM desert.


Yes sorry, I was aking you. I meant to click on your post. Thanks for the response.

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## Canadian Paul (Dec 1, 2017)

If you attend church as a lodge, do you wear regalia? Until recently there was an annual church service here that all lodges in the area attended in regalia. It was sponsored by a masonic educational fund for the children of deceased or distressed brethren. Unfortunately, as both the need for the fund and the interest of the brethren in attending lapsed,  it is no longer held. The fund, however, does and now offers scholarships for children and grandchildren of brethren. 

There were 10 or so lodges in the area under two different jurisdictions that were members of the fund. The custom was for them to file in and be seated in a reserved area in the front of the church just before the service began - a very impressive sight indeed. At one service I attended the minister was so impresed by the sound of us all singing one of the hymns that he had us sing in a second time!


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## Warrior1256 (Dec 2, 2017)

MRichard said:


> Not in any of the lodges I have been in.


Same here.


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## dfreybur (Dec 2, 2017)

In many GLs there's a lodge excellence program with points.  Get enough points for the year and you get a plaque.  Difference name in each state.

In Illinois there is a point in the Grand Master's Lodge of Excellence program for attending a service on either St John day as a lodge.  One of my Illinois lodges goes to a local Catholic church every year.  My other jurisdictions have other names for the program and that's not a point in the list.


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## Ripcord22A (Dec 2, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> One of my Illinois lodges goes to a local Catholic church every year.


Is there an underlying reason to this?



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## Ripcord22A (Dec 2, 2017)

Canadian Paul said:


> If you attend church as a lodge, do you wear regalia? Until recently there was an annual church service here that all lodges in the area attended in regalia. It was sponsored by a masonic educational fund for the children of deceased or distressed brethren. Unfortunately, as both the need for the fund and the interest of the brethren in attending lapsed,  it is no longer held. The fund, however, does and now offers scholarships for children and grandchildren of brethren.
> 
> There were 10 or so lodges in the area under two different jurisdictions that were members of the fund. The custom was for them to file in and be seated in a reserved area in the front of the church just before the service began - a very impressive sight indeed. At one service I attended the minister was so impresed by the sound of us all singing one of the hymns that he had us sing in a second time!



We wore aprons of our office or plain white or PM aprons for non officers 


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## Warrior1256 (Dec 3, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> We wore aprons of our office or plain white or PM aprons for non officers


I like this idea. I understand that some churches are antagonistic to Freemasonry. I assume that this is checked out before visiting the church.


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## dfreybur (Dec 4, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Is there an underlying reason to this?



We went to church as a lodge because it's a point in the Lodge of Excellence program.  That is to say it's something GL says that the best lodges do.

We picked the summer St John Day because we were in metro Chicago and weren't interested in battling the snow to go on the winter St John Day.

We picked that Catholic church for two reasons.  The Brother who followed me through the line was a member there so we were known there.  Plus we had recently consolidated to an adjacent suburb and the church was in the suburb we had moved from so it made good sense to continue to be known there.


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## Ripcord22A (Dec 4, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> We went to church as a lodge because it's a point in the Lodge of Excellence program.  That is to say it's something GL says that the best lodges do.
> 
> We picked the summer St John Day because we were in metro Chicago and weren't interested in battling the snow to go on the winter St John Day.
> 
> We picked that Catholic church for two reasons.  The Brother who followed me through the line was a member there so we were known there.  Plus we had recently consolidated to an adjacent suburb and the church was in the suburb we had moved from so it made good sense to continue to be known there.


Oh i was being facicious(sp) in that the Masons went to a Catholic church as a "we are here and we aren't trying to over throw ur church or government"......lol

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## Bloke (Dec 4, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Oh i was being facicious(sp) in that the Masons went to a Catholic church as a "we are here and we aren't trying to over throw ur church or government"......lol
> 
> Sent from my SM-G386T using My Freemasonry mobile app


LOL - we were in a Catholic Church recently, in support of  a Bro who's grandmother had died - only 4 of us there, 3 Catholics and 1 Muslim... no regalia though


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## Bro. Landry (Dec 8, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> We went to church as a lodge because it's a point in the Lodge of Excellence program.  That is to say it's something GL says that the best lodges do.
> 
> We picked the summer St John Day because we were in metro Chicago and weren't interested in battling the snow to go on the winter St John Day.
> 
> We picked that Catholic church for two reasons.  The Brother who followed me through the line was a member there so we were known there.  Plus we had recently consolidated to an adjacent suburb and the church was in the suburb we had moved from so it made good sense to continue to be known there.



I thought the Catholic Church frowned upon Freemasonry? Good to know you could fellowship being I’m Catholic 


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## dfreybur (Dec 8, 2017)

Bro. Landry said:


> I thought the Catholic Church frowned upon Freemasonry?



You carefully used a past tense verb.  Exactly.

You also carefully phrased it as only happening in one direction, at least in any official sense.  Exactly.


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## Bro. Landry (Dec 8, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> You carefully used a past tense verb.  Exactly.
> 
> You also carefully phrased it as only happening in one direction, at least in any official sense.  Exactly.



So what is the Church’s stance in masonry.  Exactly. Lol


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## David612 (Dec 8, 2017)

As we don’t discuss religion or politics in lodge I don’t see it being valuable to attend church or parlent for that matter with my brothers from a faith perspective.
That said having speakers of faith visit lodge would be a different thing, becoming educated on the religions of the world from an academic standpoint would be fantastic.


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## Bloke (Dec 8, 2017)

David612 said:


> As we don’t discuss religion or politics in lodge I don’t see it being valuable to attend church or parlent for that matter with my brothers from a faith perspective.
> That said having speakers of faith visit lodge would be a different thing, becoming educated on the religions of the world from an academic standpoint would be fantastic.


Me, I've learned a lot about Hinduism and Islam from my friends and Brothers - in a much better format - over dinner, coffee, beer, wine and phone..

I've attended different Churches for Weddings, Funerals and Christenings - community events in support of my close Brothers - never been to a GL organised Church or Synagogue visit - never felt the need - but if a close Brother passes, or one of his family does, I'd been in any place of worship he wanted me to be to support him.

I would oppose a discussion of religion in lodge - unless academic and comparative, but even then, I still don't think Lodge is the right place to do it - I can tell you I've sat through lectures on history where politics and religion have come up and I've had to practice that wonderful masonic virtue - silence. The best example I can think of is a WASP (not using that acronym in a derogative way - but as short hand)  extolling the virtues of Oliver Cromwell - he went on and on and on - Irish Catholics have a very different view of the man who is seen as overseeing massacres and destruction... while on another level we simply had a military dictator and religious zealot -  but we need to let go of the emotion in such history, hanging onto it is a great way to move away from a state of peace.


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## Warrior1256 (Dec 8, 2017)

Bloke said:


> I would oppose a discussion of religion in lodge - unless academic and comparative, but even then, I still don't think Lodge is the right place to do it - I can tell you I've sat through lectures on history where politics and religion have come up and I've had to practice that wonderful masonic virtue - silence.


Agreed!


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## Athena (Dec 9, 2017)

I'd think it would be a great idea for masons to get together in one church of each religion of members that occupy the lodge. Once a month would be a bit overkill. Once a year though is just right so it becomes something special as I'm sure masons don't always go to the same church of there religion.


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## frehm (Dec 9, 2017)

In Sweden there is freemasonry law to visit services in Church. I never heard of people going together, though. But we do have services in the masonry hall around Christmas and Easter.


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## dfreybur (Dec 10, 2017)

Athena said:


> I'd think it would be a great idea for masons to get together in one church of each religion of members that occupy the lodge.



As we don't discuss religion in our meetings how would we tell how many religions are represented?  Plus the main reason religion is not discussed is religion divides.  Can you think of a religion where you'd reject a man for being a member?  I'm here to tell you a member of that religion sits with you in lodge and you're not aware of the fact.

The reason my Illinois lodge knew is the Brother in question is active in both the Masons and the Knights of Columbus.  He has both stickers on his car.  His choice to do that and make himself known.

There are symbols of obscure religions that few would recognize.  I have seen stickers of at least one on cars at regional lodge events.  I suggest that most Masons would not be aware the stickers announces religious membership.  One of the symbols in the "coexist" stickers, sure.  But symbols like knotwork?  Probably not.


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