Blessing of the Bikes

[chev1958]

I've been invited to attend a "Blessing of the Bikes" at a nearby Harley-Davidson dealership. A friend of mine thinks that because I'm a pastor, I should attend. After all, the Christian Motorcyclists Association is one of the sponsors, also with the Disabled American Veterans and ABATE. There will be a chili feed after the blessing of the bikes, and an organized ride.

I have mixed feelings. My secular jOB is as my county's veterans director, so I would prOBably go to help with the veterans group. I like motorcycles a lot, so visiting the dealership for chili and riding would be OK (the after-ride party is a definite no-go!). I know the CMA is not the most-separate group of Christians, and I don't attend any of their events intentionally.

I guess what I'm asking is this: Would I be supporting the "blessing" by attending? Could I just go and be inside the dealership when the "blessing" occurs? Or do y'all think there's nothing wrong with a "blessing" at all, and I should just go and have fun? My friend would not understand why I wouldn't want to attend, and he already knows I don't have anything special planned for Saturday.

Mitch

[John81]

I'm not 100% sure what you mean by a "blessing of the bikes" but it would be possible to attend whether you agree with it all or not. Surely if there is something you don't agree with you can mention that to your friend and if anyone else asks about your being there you can be honest with them too.

[JerryNumbers]

One thing for sure, if you attend you will be in a very diversified group, and with the Christian Motorcyclists Association a part in it you will be around some who profess Christ that surely don't look the part.


From Christian Motorcyclists Association web site.
"You should find and commit to a good Bible believing, Jesus preaching, church. Although we won't recommend one church over another one, we will gladly accompany you as you visit various churches in your area. You'll know when you have found the right one."


I found the above on this on this web site.
New Believers



Seems they will not recommend any one church, which at the same time is recommending all churches I suppose.

The Ride Plan


Ministry of CMA

[John81]

What the CMA is supposed to be saying is that since their organization covers a wide area they won't recommend one particular church but they are willing to help members visit local churches and find one that teaches from the Bible and preaches Christ. All churches are not recommended because members are told what kind of church to find: "You should find and commit to a good Bible believing, Jesus preaching, church."

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, I understand well why they state that, they do not want to offend anyone. There be many in this world that are like that, they feel if they stand strong on God's truths some will be offended. Its so sad that some many worry much more about offending and or their pocketbooks than holding and standing for God's truths.

Another example of this is the Gideon's. They to will only say, just find a church that teaches the Bible, and will not recommend one. For they to feel they will offend someone, or some denominations and that will stop donations.

If you help someone get saved, you need to be brave enough to help guide them into a church that teaches all truths. Not doing this they might wind up in a Mormon, Catholic, Jehovah Witness, as well as many other churches out there that holds to false teachings. Remember, the majority of churches in this world teaches works based salvation, the minority teaches the only one true path to Jesus which is by faith in Jesus, not of self, not of works, its a free gift.

[trc123]

Yes, I understand well why they state that, they do not want to offend anyone. There be many in this world that are like that, they feel if they stand strong on God's truths some will be offended. Its so sad that some many worry much more about offending and or their pocketbooks than holding and standing for God's truths.

Another example of this is the Gideon's. They to will only say, just find a church that teaches the Bible, and will not recommend one. For they to feel they will offend someone, or some denominations and that will stop donations.

If you help someone get saved, you need to be brave enough to help guide them into a church that teaches all truths. Not doing this they might wind up in a Mormon, Catholic, Jehovah Witness, as well as many other churches out there that holds to false teachings. Remember, the majority of churches in this world teaches works based salvation, the minority teaches the only one true path to Jesus which is by faith in Jesus, not of self, not of works, its a free gift.

Jerry, In your opinion which church should the Gideon's direct people in their international and world-wide ministry to attend? If all of the appropriate Bible based churches are independent in nature and the local church is the only church that Christ teaches, how does a ministry in Colorado recommend to someone in New York to attend that local independent church in Colorado?

Seems to me that in the given circumstances the best way to give good advice is to direct people towards a local Bible-believing Christ honoring and following Church as there is no way possible to give the person specific and directed information in the materials they give out all over the world.

[John81]

That's the case with CMA from my understanding. There is no one church that can be recommended across the board. It would be virtually impossible to be able to recommend a particular church for every area of the country. As well, one church which is worthy of recommending today may not be so tomorrow. This is why some groups biblically guide believers to find a Bible believing, Christ preaching church.

There are those groups which do view nearly all churches as fine depending upon ones own desires. Those groups are in error when they tell folks to find the church that "feels good" to them rather than telling folks to find a Christ-centered, biblical church.

[chev1958]

A "blessing of the bikes" is a ceremony where someone prays over motorcycles, asking for God to protect the riders. I have a prOBlem with praying over inanimate OBjects - to me, it cheapens our Lord, especially when most of the riders will never darken a church door. And right after the ride, there will be a party at a biker bar nearby.

The CMA is an ecumenical group with no standards at all, at least from my experience. I can't tell CMA members apart from the stereotypical bikers - smoking, drinking, cussing, and less-than-appropriate attire. If they didn't wear a CMA patch on their jackets, you couldn't tell them apart. It's an issue of separation to me.

I guess I've talked myself out of going.

[JerryNumbers]

Jerry, In your opinion which church should the Gideon's direct people in their international and world-wide ministry to attend? If all of the appropriate Bible based churches are independent in nature and the local church is the only church that Christ teaches, how does a ministry in Colorado recommend to someone in New York to attend that local independent church in Colorado?

Seems to me that in the given circumstances the best way to give good advice is to direct people towards a local Bible-believing Christ honoring and following Church as there is no way possible to give the person specific and directed information in the materials they give out all over the world.

This quote from my previous post.
" Remember, the majority of churches in this world teaches works based salvation, the minority teaches the only one true path to Jesus which is by faith in Jesus, not of self, not of works, its a free gift."


As for the Gideon's they dare not take a stand, if they did they would lose donations from about 80% of the churches. Of course I understand well many know not the difference between false teaching churches and true teaching churches. Billy Graham was one of the great leaders of ecumenicalism, acceptance, putting aside the true teachings of the Bible and coming together, even coming together with those who teach not the one true path of salvation.I might add, there were many who tried to keep Billy Graham on the right path, yet he refused.

Your a smart person, you've got a copy of the Holy Bible, open the pages on the New Testament, within them you will find the blue print of Jesus' churches.

[JerryNumbers]

A "blessing of the bikes" is a ceremony where someone prays over motorcycles, asking for God to protect the riders. I have a prOBlem with praying over inanimate OBjects - to me, it cheapens our Lord, especially when most of the riders will never darken a church door. And right after the ride, there will be a party at a biker bar nearby.

The CMA is an ecumenical group with no standards at all, at least from my experience. I can't tell CMA members apart from the stereotypical bikers - smoking, drinking, cussing, and less-than-appropriate attire. If they didn't wear a CMA patch on their jackets, you couldn't tell them apart. It's an issue of separation to me.

I guess I've talked myself out of going.

I understand your feeling on this.


At Hatfield, AK, which isn't many miles from us, back when the wife and I rode each fall they would have a gathering up there called something like, Ride for the Colors each fall. There would be hundreds of them present with motorcycles coming and going constantly throughout that area. They were a very intimidating bunch. We've been in restaurants where a bunch of them has come in wearing their vest with the CMA patches on them, from their behavior and the language they used one would think they were a group of Hell's Angels.

[John81]

I've seen the types of CMA members you describe and it really makes one wonder what the point is. At the same time, there are a few in this area who are genuine Christians(born again, regular attending church members) who sport the CMA patch. They don't dress like outlaw bikers. They do wear leather jackets when the weather calls for such but that's just prudent. They don't sport the outlaw headgear, jewelry, tattoos, or attitude. I rather imagine that if the worldy type CMA folks showed up here these guys wouldn't entertain with them.

At least half the CMA folks in this area are elderly too.

[Anon]

I guess my view has been slightly tainted by the fact one of our most faithful couples in church also does Harley rides and they are in some sort of "Christian" cycle group as well. Their dress of course is not super separated but they don't drink or cuss and as far as I know they keep their testimony in all ways. I'm not saying I would personally do what they do...on the other hand they're a good couple, and who am I to judge them? That is up to God.

I guess your situation would depend on your testimony to your friend, and if you could further reach out to him or not, and keep your testimony. However if there is drinking at the event (or just after) then that would prOBably be my main reason not to go. I hope you can explain it okay to your friend! If not for the drinking, I would think it would be alright to go with him, and just make him promise not to make you pray. haha.

[arroworchard]

Don't most blessing of the bikes have a priest or a father say the blessing? This would be enough to keep me away?

[John81]

I have a question about the blessing itself. Are they going to pray the bikes be blessed or are they praying the Lord would bless in some other manner.

I don't know that a blanket "bless this bike" is okay or not but I have prayed for the Lord to bless our car so that it would work well and good and we would have no prOBlems or breakdowns on our journey. Along these lines I've also prayed the Lord would keep all deer and other critters and OBstacles out of our pathway. I've prayed the Lord would bless our home and not allow evil to enter in and would hold our home together.

[JerryNumbers]

I've seen some good ones too, but the good ones where always in very small groups of 1 or 2, not more than 4.

I've told this before, a church I know of picked up a young girl on a bus route, her father & mother were of the Hell Angels type. She got saved, the mother came to the baptizing, kept coming to church, she grew up Catholic, got saved, husband came to see her baptized, kept coming, got saved. Shortly there after he surrendered to preach. he had long hair during that time and dressed like a Hells Angel type.

He told is pastor I am not going to change the way I wear my hair nor the way I dress for no one, the only preaching he got was once in a while in his home church. One Sunday after several months he showed up on a Sunday morning dressed in a suit and tie, with a regular hair cut. After that churches started inviting him to preach, and most Sunday's he was somewhere preaching. I hear him once, talked to him and wife, they seemed sincere, but of course I only talked with them for a few minutes.

After a few months his pastor talked some other churches into supporting a mission church for him, it to be geared towards bikers. As soon as he got the church where it could support itself he changed his style, went back to dressing like Hells Angels, let his hair grow out, took the Baptist name completely off the church records, and changed the mission statement. Last I heard they have about 60 or so, all Hell's Angels types, that would scared you to death if you met them on a dark street.

To be honest, I think he took the church for a ride, used them, them threw them out with the dish water. He is now making a better living than he ever did. But my hope is that he is saved. Of course that is left up to Jesus, and He will make a perfect judgment.