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Pastor to bless motorcycles and riders

Apr 30, 2008 | Tom Mitchell | Leader Times

Heavy boots, studded black leather jackets, and "do-rag" head gear will be Sunday-go-to-meeting attire at 10 a.m. May 18 at Faith Community Church, 407 Freeport Road. That's when Pastor Chuck Edwards will hold the church's Ninth Annual Blessing of the Bikes, or more accurately, blessing of bike riders.

When Edwards is not "blessing" people, he may be arresting them. He works for the Armstrong County District Attorney's detective office. Nevertheless, on May 18, this badge-carrying man of the cloth will be the man in black: a black muscle shirt, black jeans and boots, and ready to hop on his red, twin-vee engine Harley Davidson and ride with the people and bikes he has blessed.

For Edwards it's not the journey that matters, it's the destination, and as a pastor, Edwards wants the ultimate destination for all bikers to be heaven.

He said he has been riding motorcycles since he was "...too young to get a driver's license," and said several people in his church also join him in riding the open road on two wheels.

Edwards said all kinds of people come to the annual blessing for bikers.

"Many, if not most biker riders, are family people and some bring their children to church on the back of their motorcycles," Edwards said. "We have various bike groups here too, the Red Knights, which is a firefighters' group; the Blue Knights, a police officers riders' group; religious groups such as the Sons of God and the Christian Motorcyclists Association, and we've had some 'one-percenters,' the so-called 'bad-boys' of the motorcycle world. Everyone is welcome and everyone needs blessed."

Edwards said that during the past several years about 60 to 70 motorcycle riders attend the annual event, but Edwards would like to see more.

"For several years in a row it rained during our blessing day. Just before a blessing one year I was out on a ride," he said. "Of course the rain meant that we had only about 35 or 40 really dedicated riders show up. Of course I got soaked but I was able to change into a dry shirt at least. I think I was the only preacher in a long time to give a sermon in wet underwear."

Edwards said the blessing day is intended to ask for God's blessing on all who ride and that God will protect them and guide them in all aspects of their lives. His sermon on May 18 will relate bike riding, motorcycle parts, and traveling on the open road to a spiritual journey.

"God is our ride captain," Edwards said, "and we try to follow his spiritual road map because we know where it leads."

Edwards said that everyone attending the annual blessing received a biker blessing ball cap, a special edition of the Biker Bible, and all are well fed at a church luncheon that follows.

Edwards said it is important to feed people with spiritual as well as physical food. He said the "Biker's Bible" is a New International Version New Testament with a motorcycle on the cover and has several pages of "biker testimonies," true stories of bikers whose lives were changed by the power of the gospel.

Edwards said the last eight blessings were held in honor of Harry Barger of Kittanning, a Faith Community Church member who died in a motorcycle accident after the first blessing, about seven years ago.

"Oh yes, when I ride I do wear a helmet," he said. "My wife reminds me that there will be no blessing for me if I don't wear one."