Presentations & Workshops
Customized Contemplative Workshops
Chuck works with both Masonic and non-Masonic groups interested in learning and refining contemplative practice. Contact him to discuss workshops tailored for the needs of your group and suited to time frames as small as 30 minutes or as extensive as a multiple day retreat. Basic categories of contemplative practice include the following:
- Mindfulness & Meditation
- Imagery & Active Imagination
- Breath Work & Energy Work
- Chanting & Mantra Meditation
- Contemplative Dialogue
Presentations
Any of Chuck’s presentations can be augmented with one or more contemplative exercises. Many of these presentations include slideshows that highlight traditional images important to their themes.
Craft Masonry
These presentations are among the most popular of Chuck’s offerings for more light in the first three degrees. Many can be adjusted to accommodate audiences that include members of different degrees and non-Masons as well. You are also welcome to ask about other topics relevant to Craft Masonry.
The Psychology of Freemasonry | 60 - 90 mins
All the social and moral virtues of the ideal Mason can only manifest through a properly prepared instrument, and that instrument is his psyche. The well-being and improvement of the psyche is therefore not only a matter of concern, it is the core issue within Masonry. This presentation is a detailed examination of content in the first chapter of Contemplative Masonry. It illustrates the inherent psychology of Masonry by showing how our tradition understands and works with the structure and dynamics of the psyche, our psychological health, growth, and maturation, and our relationships with others. (Adaptable for non-Masons.)
Introduction to Contemplative Masonry | 30 - 60 mins
Our ritual repeatedly urges contemplation and the careful development of the psyche. This presentation reviews how the book, Contemplative Masonry, came to be written, and highlights why and how contemplative practice offers us a more challenging and rewarding experience of the Craft. (Adaptable for non-Masons.)
Engaging the Four Cardinal & Three Theological Virtues | 60 - 90 mins
Hiram Must Die! | 30 - 60 mins
We often regard the death of Hiram Abif as an instance of injustice, inhumanity, and evil. But what if there is another way to understand this myth which is central to our Masonic journey? What if it contains clues about the secret workings of the psyche that ensure we have plenty of opportunities for liberation and renewal? This presentation offers such a perspective, and challenges its audience to see the story of Hiram Abif continually playing itself out within themselves. (May not be suitable for EAs or FCs.)
Keys to the Lost Word | 30 - 60 mins
Within the Master Mason’s degree we are charged to recover the Lost Word, and we are ritually presented with a symbolic key to that word. However, that symbol is not the only key to the Lost Word, and in fact a number of Masonic scholars have found another key hidden within the ritual, if we only have ears to hear. This presentation addresses both of those keys, with special attention given to how we can use the hidden one to reveal the Lost Word. (May not be suitable for EAs or FCs.)
Masonry’s Contemplative Path Toward Wholeness | 30 - 60 mins
Each of us naturally gravitates toward being more a man of action, of feeling, of thinking, or of spirit. In this presentation we review how Masonic ritual engages us in all four of these dimensions, and how our tradition encourages us to actualize and harmonize all four in our lives. (Adaptable for non-Masons.)
The Supreme Virtue | 30 - 60 mins
The Principle Tenets, the Top Rung of the EA’s Ladder, the Five Points of Fellowship and the Trowel illustrate that love is both the means and the end, both the journey and the goal, of all our Masonic labors. This presentation includes a philosophical consideration of love as more than a feeling or a way of behaving, asserting that it transcends any duality and ultimately subsumes and informs all aspects of our being. (May not be suitable for EAs or FCs.)
So Mote it Be: The Plea and Affirmation of Amen | 30 - 60 mins
The phrase, So Mote it Be, is so familiar to Masons that we can easily overlook its deeper significance’s. This presentation traces the origin of the phrase back to its root in the Hebrew amen, and also considers possible connections with similar words of other languages. The attitudes expressed by So Mote it Be and amen are then examined in the light of a contemplative approach to Masonry. (Adaptable for non-Masons.)
