Hugs For Heroes - Blessing of the Bikes - Salem United Methodist Church
I was invited and encouraged by Donna and Chuck Alexander to attend the “Hugs For Heroes” run and “Blessing of the Bikes” on June 5th. The event was to be held at the Salem United Methodist Church in Salem, NY.
We had the pleasure of meeting Donna and Chuck at Sporty’s Iron Duke Saloon during the Goat Brothers Bike Show in June 2010. Both Donna and Chuck have been big supporters of the magazine so when we were invited, there was no doubt that we would be going to the event. Hugs for Heroes is an extension of the Salem United Methodist Church. It is a committee of church members who prepare goodwill packages for members of the local community who are serving overseas. The funds from this event are used to support the worthwhile efforts of “Hugs for Heroes” and that alone makes attendance at this event all that more important.
I love to ride and I find as most of you do that it brings me great pleasure to do so. This ride however found my heart rather heavy as I had just been laid off from work so instead of thinking about the magazine and the ride, my thoughts were elsewhere with other burdens.
Upon arrival at the Salem United Methodist Church, I was warmly greeted by both Donna and Chuck and was rapidly introduced to those in attendance. There is nothing like re-uniting with old friends and instantly making some new friends to make one forget about their problems.
Everyone gathered in small groups in front of the church and as riders always do they renewed friendships, swapped tales and caught up on issues regarding friends and family. Soon the word was put out to please enter the church as the service was about to begin. This is the first event that I have ever been to where attendance at church is part of the event. This was not a bad idea and maybe it should happen a little more often.
The interior of the church was as quaint as the church first appeared to be from the outside but a church is only as good as its’ Pastor and this church is about as good as it can get. I had the humbling privilege to meet Pastor Debbie Earthrowl. As a petite woman, Pastor Earthrowl makes up for what she lacks in physical stature with a monumental drive and a passion for her church, her congregation and her community. Her sermon was an inspiring experience. There were many veterans in attendance and Pastor Debbie made sure that each and every one was acknowledged for their service. Parts of her sermon were about God and Jesus, parts were about self-fulfillment, parts were about self-worth and part was about the community that they all shared and called home.
When the service was complete the congregation was invited outside for the blessing of the bikes. Each member of the regular congregation was given a blessing card and asked to select a rider and give them the card. Once the cards had been exchanged, Pastor Debbie gave the following blessing:
May you view all that is around you with the eyes of God
May God bless you as you conserve precious resources
May God bless you as you embrace life with joy
May this bike carry you with safety as it inspires joy within you
May you ride with the awareness that you are always and everywhere God’s precious creation
May your ride be inspired and protected by God as you are a blessing and as you receive a blessing
After the Blessing of the Bikes was complete, all those in attendance were welcomed to a church social where the food was both plentiful and delicious. The fellowship that had started within the confines of the church and had grown during the blessing continued to grow during the social. It was there that I had the honor of meeting Tracy Evans who is the Commander of VFW Post 5513 in Adirondack, NY. Tracy is a wounded warrior from the Middle East and is in the process of making a cross country motorcycle trip to raise funds for and to honor the Medic that saved his life when he was wounded. The social was made even more festive by the services of Krystal’s Lyttle DJ Service. Krystal played a variety of patriotic songs and other music that lent itself nicely to the festivities at hand. She was also kind enough to allow the organizers the use of her equipment for the blessing and announcements during the event.
The ride portion of the event kicked off but for me, it was anti-climactic. The ride was going to proceed to Granville, down through Pawlet Vermont and back into the Salem area where they were going to hit their favorite biker bar (some things never change). The weather was closing in and I decided to split from the ride in Granville and get home before the rain.
For me this event was a game changer of major proportions. I entered Salem full of self-doubt and worry about my future and the future of my family. After the Sermon was complete I had a chance to talk with Pastor Debbie and we talked about my personal situation and I told her of my pending interview for a new job and how important this new position was to me. I left that conversation feeling full of self-confidence and with a new and invigorated view on life. Debbie, if you are reading this, I got the job. Thanks !!.
