The two younger kids are in California with their grandparents, and on Saturday, Justina had an all-day scrapbooking event in Minocqua. Kassie and I decided to go on a little ride together and went out Evergreen, past Chico’s to Eau Clarie Dells. We had some soft-serve, walked a bit, looked at some of God’s awesome nature, pushed Kassie on the park swings, came back through town, picked up cat food, and had a late lunch at Taco Bell. We followed this with some yardwork (mowing) and when Justina got home we grilled steaks. 60 miles of riding and some quality time with my eldest. It was a good day!

Sunday came and we went to church, me on the bike, Kassie and Justina in the Cherokee. I stopped by a friend’s house and fed his chickens, hit a small patch of rain, and made it to church on time. After church, Justina and I hopped on the bike and waved goodbye to Kassie who was headed for an empty house.. just Kassie and the dog for a day of alone time. Justina and I rode with a couple of friends to the local Harley dealership in time for the start of their first annual ‘dealer ride’. I’ve included our route below.

Justina and I ride well together, and we learn something new every time we ride. This time out we learned that she still gets antsy near the paint, and that popping her gum in my ear when we’re riding is distracting. I learned that stopping distances are greater with a passenger (I knew that but had it proven to me) and that this distance increases appreciably with water on the roadway. On that note; we traveled through a few impressive rain squalls. Hard rain at 60mph on a sunburned head feels like hail!

We had a successful ride, maybe 165 miles, had a great time, good fellowship (thanks Mike and Mitch!), and even got some coffee in! In fact, it was such a great time that I think I’ll ride home early this evening and take Justina on another ride.
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In today’s note, Ron has some time to ride and think, about bikes, luggage, men, and ministry.. and, obviously, produce some Vitamin D in his skin!

Click through to read more.

When my wife and I first married, I had just sold my last motorcycle. We agreed that once the kids were ‘out of the house’ that we would spend our time riding on a new motorcycle ‘across Canada’. Last year – though the kids are not yet gone – she suggested that it might be time, and I jumped at the chance. We bought a 2003 100th Anniversary Harley Fat Boy, and I started riding. Note: “We” did not start riding… that’s just happened this year.

There are people that will tell you that you pick Harley for the brand, for the idea that it’s “Made in the USA”, or for the raw, gritty rumble. I’m here to tell you that we picked it for all those reasons, and more. There is a storied history there, a rich background and nostalgia. It’s clear that other manufacturers build good bikes, and many enjoy them; they just weren’t options for us. Some say that “H.D.” stands for “hundred dollars”, and that you have a money pit once you get one. Well, I wish the limit on a trip to a dealer was $100, and the pit description falls well short as a pit just sits there and doesn’t pull your money toward it. A Harley is much more like a money “black hole”… but again, we’d have it no other way.

On to the story… we had discussed getting saddlebags for the bike, and we started looking around at Harley bags. What we saw were small bags – likely made to fit above the stock shotgun exhaust – in the 550 cu in range. We knew these would not hold what we needed on longer rides, even though we have a T-Bag for the upright. We then started looking at other options for bolt-on bags. Most bags required that you have metal standoffs installed on the bike, or they were ‘throw-overs’ like Pony Express mailbags… neither of these options appealed to us. Then – cue sound of angels singing here – we found Ironbags (www.ironbags.com). Max builds a bag, from the ground up, on a piece of fiberglass formed to the contours of a Harley, using Hermann oak tanned leather, vegetable dyed, with metal hardware and many options. These bags are a work of art, are larger than stock Harley bags, come in various shapes and sizes, and are generally cheaper “per cubic inch” than Harley bags. We are overjoyed with the result and recommend anyone in search of saddlebags to Max.

So, the ride. It made sense to me to have the bags put on in the shop, if possible, and Max agreed to let me help (even though he must have known this would take longer). I began my ride at 08:30, 48 degrees. I was ready: I had an Under Armor Cold Gear layer, a t-shirt, jeans, and a leather motorcycle jacket. I took County Road O down to Highway 29… so far so good. A few twistys, sun’s out, I’m pretty warm… yeah, at 45 mph. On 29 things changed… a friendly warm 48 degrees in the sun at 65 mph becomes a bone-chilling sub 25 degrees. After two hours of that cold, I stopped in Chippewa Falls to warm up (I mean, have a snack) and then made the final run down 53 and 93 to Eleva.

I arrived at Max’s shop and immediately noticed the clean, simple lines and surroundings. Max has been doing this a long time, and it shows. The brackets, the install, the design approach all belie many years of learning and refinement. It was my honor to see Max at work. This is where nostalgia is built! Max and I put on the bags in around an hour, greased them one more time, chatted for a bit, and then I prepared for the ride home.

I decided to take Hwy 10 back through Marshfield to 13 and finally 97 through Athens. The slower speed caused less wind chill, and the day had gotten warmer. It also gave me a chance to stop at the High Ground Veteran’s Memorial for a few minutes (www.thehighground.org). I got home and showed the bags to the family at around 15:30. Overall a GREAT ride, successful and enjoyable.

So what? Nice ride.. no learning. Well, not so. Riding that bike gives me time to do little but be left alone with my thoughts, as scary a proposition as that seems. Aside from obvious thoughts about life, how God created us and the world I was driving through, I thought about bags, that is, luggage. By putting these bags on the bike, I would be ensuring that my rides would be longer, and that I would ‘have’ to take more stuff. Isn’t this much like what Christ did for us by setting His example? By giving us His Spirit? What I mean is, Christ multiplied our burdens… when we become saved a spiritual part of us awakens that was lost before. We become sensitive to things we almost didn’t know existed prior to our conversion. While some things pale, in general, our mental burden is greater; but, Christ gives us the luggage to carry these burdens in. He gives us His word, through which we can view a confusing world. He gives us His example which we can follow, and He gives us His Spirit by whom we are led in our daily walk (if we listen). It’s true that our burdens multiply, but with the new luggage, the carrying is made easier, almost natural. Much as the saddlebags are now part of our bike, Christ’s example and word can be worked into our being, allowing us to carry more and take joy in the journey!

View the Ride Map

Technorati Tags: burdens, cycle, fat boy, harley, ironbags, max, saddlebags, sunburn

A few years ago, a long-standing feud between the Hells Angels and the Mongols, two of the most notorious motorcycle clubs in the country, erupted in a bloody riot at a crowded Nevada casino. Dozens of shots were fired, several people were brutally beaten and stabbed, and when the dust cleared, three bikers were dead. Detectives recovered 14 guns, 107 knives, two hammers, two wrenches and nine flashlights from trashcans, slot machines and other places.

What can this incident teach us about outlaw motorcycle clubs, ourselves, and being a Christian man?

*This post in no way intends to portray any club as “outlaw” that does not intend to be and does not seek to be a complete and definitive source of information on any motorcycle club. For information on clubs directly from the club themselves, please see the end of this post for links.

WARNING: This is a LONG post.

First, let’s take a look at what outlaw motorcycle clubs are, and how one becomes a member.

While many people have tried to access the inner world of the “biker gang”, few are fully successful because getting in to one of the rougher gangs requires you to be incredibly ‘rough’, willing to break the law, and perhaps, willing to kill to defend the club. In addition, those that can get in don’t get out (they don’t get out untouched). Being in one of these gangs is a life commitment, and if you try to leave, they enforce the deal. This means that the knowledge we have of the gang is the perspective – largely – of an outsider looking in. We see what they do and how they act, and we have to infer from that what they are like. We do have statements from a few people who have been inside and told about their experiences before they died, and their words help us understand what this inner world is like.

There are many motorcycle clubs that follow the law. In fact, there are now many Christian motorcycle clubs that witness to other riders. There are four or five large outlaw clubs that now have chapters in many states and a few that have spread internationally.

The Pagans ride out of Delaware City, PA and have chapters in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. There are – at  last count – around 350-400 members.

The Bandidos ride out of Texas with chapters in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Washington State, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and several other states. This club has a growing national and international presence.

The Mongols (referenced in the headline picture to this post) has its main presence in southern California. It also claims it has chapters in US states of Nevada, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Oregon, New York, Indiana, Florida and Virginia. They have 500 to 600 fully patched members.

The Outlaws ride out of McCook, Illinois and boast over 200 chapters nationally and internationally. They have an acronym “ADIOS”, which stands for, “[Hell's] Angels Die in Outlaw States”. Another acronym is “GFOD”, “God forgives, Outlaws Don’t” (and they don’t). The Outlaws claim chapters in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin as well as many international chapters.

Finally, the Hell’s Angels. The Hells Angels were founded in the late 1940s or early 1950s in California, and probably came about due to an amalgamation or joining of different motorcycle clubs, such as the Boozefighters and the The POB of Bloomington. It is most commonly believed that the Hells Angels were originally formed in 1948 in Fontana, California. The Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club [HAMC] claims clubs in 29 countries and many states such as Alaska, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, North Carolina, Arizona, Maine, Ohio, California, Colorado, South Carolina, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, Arkansas, New Hampshire, Minnesota, New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Nebraska.

NOTE: The chapter or charter list after each club listing is not definitive. For a club-sponsored list of chapters, visit each club’s web site as listed at the end of this article. That will also give you a look at their logo, as I will not link to logos or copy them here.

My intent in listing an approximate territory for each club is to demonstrate that there are several geographical areas where these clubs ‘overlap’, that is, there are states claimed by more than one club. Wearing ‘colors’ from one club can bring heat from another club that claims the same area (as we saw in the Laughlin example at the beginning of this post).

Colors

Laughlin NV Incident

..are the logo patches that are worn on a vest. These patches are sacred, are not to be left alone and are to be defended, with violence if necessary. A motorcycle club has a three-part patch consisting of a top rocker, a logo, and a bottom rocker. The logo shows the club affiliation and is generally an evocative image that is designed to be immedately recognizeable and to leave an image in the viewers mind. The bottom rocker causes most of the trouble, as this panel shows the territory claimed by the club represented. The top rocker, given upon full membership (getting “patched”) holds the name of the club.

The “M.C.” patch designates the color-wearer as being a member of a ‘motorcycle club’. This – generally – means that this club claims territory, rather than just gathers to ride (which would be a “R.C.” or riders club).

Other patches include a “13″,  “81″, Ace of Spades, and “1%”. The 13 patch has some secrecy about it but most assume that it is related to drug use. The 81 is a reference to “H” & “A” (8th and 1st letters of the english alphabet), Hells Angels. You’ll hear “support your local 81″, and so on. The Ace of Spades generally means that the wearer is willing to defend himself and his colors with violence, to the death. A “666″ or “Filthy Few” patch indicates that the wearer has defended himself or the club with violence. The most notorious of the smaller patches, the “1%” patch is a reference back to the AMA statement – after an outlaw club incident – that 99% of all motorcycle clubs were law-abiding and caused no trouble. The 1% nomenclature was quickly adopted by outlaw clubs and is worn as a badge of honor.

There are also many phrases and customs that hold deep meaning for the outlaw motorcycle club member. Above all, respect – actively demonstrated – is of utmost concern to members, and a perceived lack of respect – to them or their club – is something that will most often result in direct and immediate physical consequences.

Phrases

• Get Wet – Bleed or get bled on
• TCB – Taking care of business (usually means violence done to uphold the honor of the club)
• Brother – A specific phrase that means a member of the club. You stand with them, fight for them, and ensure that other always respect them. This isn’t a simple term to be thrown around lightly.

Customs (Protocol)

Think of the ancient knight, and his code of conduct, and you will begin to get a picture of the modern M.C. member. I don’t mean to ascribe any more grandeur to the lifestyle than is warranted, but some things that we have lost over the years – as men – are embodied by the M.C. member. Yes, knights lived a time that was rougher, and they acted rougher. Their sense of honor was razor sharp and while seemingly arbitrary in places, you knew the rules, and you knew what would happen if you broke those rules.. and it wasn’t good. This section isn’t an attempt to give all the ‘rules’, and they vary by club, but overall, the #1 is “respect the club member”. Some interesting points of protocol:

• Don’t use the word outlaw when you are referring to bikers in a M.C. This is offensive.
• Don’t use the word ‘bro’ or ‘brother’. This is a specific term, reserved by a member for another member
• Don’t shake a member’s hand or touch them in any way, until they offer their hand, no physical contact. Under no circumstance are you to touch a member’s colors.
• If you know someone in the club, don’t ‘name drop’ and act like you are buddies, even if you are. This can be considered an affront to the entire club.
• Don’t wear anything that looks like ‘colors’ into areas that are marked ‘no colors’.

It is often said that joining an outlaw motorcycle club will ‘replace’ your life; that you will lose your wife, your previous identify, your friends, and perhaps other material things (car, house, etc). It is true that the club becomes the most important thing to you – or you won’t ever be a full member – but the reason that you lose other things is primarily because of the things that you do, the actions that you perform, in order to be a member in good standing with the club (activities that are either illegal or viewed by many to be past the line of temperance). In order to become a member, you must first prove that you are a bad bad man, and willing to continue to be bad.

Membership

Different clubs have different methods, but – in general – clubs have a tiered process for membership in which a new recruit moves through varying levels of trust and standing with the club. When loyalty and dedication to the club have been proven to stand the test of time – and sometimes other more direct tests – membership may be granted.

Hang-Around
This is the first level of association where a recruit is not actively ‘run off’ but becomes a regular fixture around the clubhouse, buys goods from the clubhouse, and becomes recognizable to all members, and sometimes even to outsiders. This phase can last months and even multiple years.

Prospect
Most clubs require that a hang-around be sponsored by a member. This is the last step before membership. Prospects do a lot of the “grunt work” on rides and events, and prove to the membership that they are loyal and dedicated. Some clubs may require more direct evidence of loyalty. This phase lasts at least one year in most clubs. Not all prospects wear patches, but all members know who the prospects are. Most clubs require prospects to attend church (chapter meetings) and all events.

Member
The process of getting your top rocker – and sometimes club logo – is known as “getting patched”. This is the initiation into full club membership. A member in full standing has the top rocker with the club name, a middle patch that has the logo of the club, and a bottom rocker that designates territory. Always remember that – in motorcycle clubs – colors are earned, not bought. Remember this because it is something to be respected, or remember it because it will save your hide; but remember it. All members must attend church (chapter meetings) and events, unless they are quite sick.

So, how does this all apply to us, as Christian men?

As I noted in the narrative above, many of the things that these clubs hold to are things that we have lost as Christian men. We have been told for a hundred years that fighting back, voicing a strong opinion, being confrontative, and making statements about morality that are absolute are all ‘bad’ and should be avoided. We have been turned into a milk-toast version of what men used to be. The men we have become could not have tamed the West, gotten gold out of the California mountains, and certainly could not have carved this nation out of a wild continent, with or without English opposition. Before I get off on a rant here.. let’s have a look at the parallels between membership in a “biker club” and being a Christian.

“Clubs”

Rather than get along, most Christians concentrate on what divides them and what differences they have in orthodoxy and orthopraxy (teaching and behavior). This is how we get so many divisions and denominations in the body of Christ, and how churches split and recombine, with hurt on both sides. Motorcycle clubs concentrate – in large part – on what territory they control, and our modern church often boasts of “membership numbers”, where we have satellite churches, how many are in our “conference” vs. other denominations, and so on. Why do we fracture into so many denominations, sects, and churches when Christ calls us to unity? (1 Cor. 3:2-7, John 17:20-21, 1 Cor 10:17, Eph 2:20, Eph 4:3-6). Just as we shudder at the thought of what might happen if all outlaw motorcycle clubs banded together as one, so must Satan shudder at the power that would be unleashed in the world if Christians followed God’s Word in Ephesians 4, “..with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all”.

Colors

Here’s where we – as Christians – get to appear all high and mighty, right? We don’t wear colors, we are ‘normal’ people. Really? Walk into an evangelical or traditional church in road wear, perhaps with an earring or two and some ink, and let me know how it works out for you. The sensitivity to this varies based on the local church family, but I dressed “to the nines” once, suit, tie, the whole deal, and the woman from the couple in front of me turned around and said, “thank you for dressing like you’re entering the presence of the King”. The direct implication here is that anything less – such as what I wear regularly – would be unworthy of the King. This – of course – makes me ask, “Wait, doesn’t my King want me to dress in the uniform of my position in His kingdom? I am a warrior for Christ, and hard-edged knight, not a noble in the court. I AM dressed as He would have me dress”. Again.. in danger of getting off on a rant. How about crosses, crucifixes, the “fish”, and the like? Aren’t these all “patches” that indicate our affiliation with The Way? My Bible cover is digital camouflage, with the statement “Soldier of the Lord” woven in; isn’t that much like a back patch? Some would say that their suit is their “church uniform”. As Christians, our “colors” should be obvious to all, without anything being worn or displayed. We should be “obvious” by our actions, the way we treat others, and the way we love one another. As St. Francis of Assisi exhorted, “Wherever you go, preach Christ; and if necessary, use words”.

Phrases

We don’t have any special “code words” or phrases, right? Things that we say that have meanings only to Christians? Let me give you a short list of things that we commonly say (outside of the ‘Lord’ or ‘Father’ every third word in a prayer said by an Evangelical or the fact that Lutherans have to have any phrase said, and then they repeat it), and you tell me whether or not we have our own little language.

• Let me pray about it – “NO”, but I am passive-aggressive and not brave enough to tell you “No” to your face; besides, saying “no” just isn’t Christian.
• We have a prayer request – I need a legal way to tell you about this incredibly juicy piece of gossip!
• God gave me a word for you – I am about to tell you how to live your life, but I want it couched in such a way that I don’t appear in the equation anywhere.
• God is good – My life sucks and I am going to tell you all about it, right now. Get a pot of coffee.
• I possess the gift of discernment - I can judge you without even meeting you or spending any time with you.
• I am saved by grace – I can do whatever I want.
• I have Christian freedom – and there’s nothing you can say about it.
• I don’t mean to judge – but I am going to, right now, and you’re gonna listen.
• I am dating Jesus right now – I couldn’t even get a blind date.
• God wants me to focus on Him for a while – I am too much a wuss to break up with you properly, or, I have found someone else.
• God wants me to marry you – Perhaps I can manipulate you into saying “yes” if you think it’s God’s idea.
• God has called me to minister to her – Boy is she hot!
• I think you should pray about it – and you’ll come ’round to see that I’m right.
• Have I offended you? - I know I offended you, but it’s your weakness that allows this, not my incredible rudeness or unChristian attitude.
• God has blessed us with so much - we’re rich, and want to throw it in your face (well, pretty much anyone’s face), but we know that just isn’t Christian.

Customs (Protocols)

I guess I’d look at things like the process of the church service, intercessory prayer on your knees, rosary, congregational prayer, Communion, baptism, hymns, sermon last thing before “out the door”, and such things as “protocol” in the Christian church. Not associating with “unbelievers” is the mark of many churches and sects. In my Adventist upbringing, we could wade in the water on Sabbath, but not past our knees (no swimming). Many Christians are obese and eat cheese, eggs, mayo and sugar with abandon, but then judge others for smoking and drinking. Most churches have a set of unwritten rules about appearance, behavior, and so on. All of these are “unwritten rules” about church behavior. Mind you, none of these are necessarily “Christian” behavior as far as Christ is concerned. We learn these things quickly when we begin attending and then do them, and they become second nature. We become unaware that we are doing them and scoff when others ask about the “culture” of the church.

Membership

The parallels here are amazing. Here are two clubs (“saved” Christians and outlaw motorcycle clubs) where you have to admit/prove you are a bad person to get in. Not only that, but you have to have a Sponsor! In my Reformed view, I believe that our paths are already charted as Christians, and becoming “saved” is only the first step on a journey of sanctification. The journey from Hang-Around through Prospect to Member parallels – very eerily – the way that we initiate men into Men’s Ministry at our local church.

There are many things – as Christian men – that we can learn from motorcycle clubs; in fact, I would find it personally very satisfying if we could raise our church – or even just men’s – attendance to HALF the rate of an average motorcycle club. We can also learn what loyalty is, and how to give other members of “the club” our support and help. We can learn to overcome Adam’s original sin of passivity, and deal with things assertively and directly, rather than allowing laziness and apathy erode our manliness to the point where we are willing to let life pass by, as long as it demands nothing from us.

Look in the mirror Christian men of America; do you have what it takes to be an Outlaw for the Lord?

—— Links ——

http://www.hells-angels.com/

http://www.outlawsmc.com/

http://www.bandidosmc.dk/

http://www.mongolsmc.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagans_MC (could not find main web site)

Technorati Tags: biker, motorcycle club, outlaw

With sixteen bikes of varying types, single riders, passengers, and ecumenical diversity, our first ride was a great example of what “the church” should look like! Regardless church of record, manufacturer of bikes, color of bike, style of bike, or age of rider, we all love the same thing and are united because of that. That love for the open road can be likened to our love for Christ as the head of the church. A common love for the road and riding brought us together for this ride, and a love of Christ – the head of the church – brings us together as Christians. Just as we rode together with different makes of bikes, so the church works together with a mix of people and gifts. We don’t all have to look the same, act the same, and do the same things to be critical to the function of the church body. I hope that this annual ride continues to provide a metaphor for the body of Christ, welcoming all gifts, and ministering to those not yet part of the body.

Our ride began at Highland Community Church in Wausau, WI at 13:00, Sunday Sept 21st. Our ride took us to Merrill, WI.. then along Hwy 107 to Tomahawk, WI. Our route then took us over several country roads around small lakes and beautiful autumn scenery through Harrison Hills to Hwy 17 and then on to Rhinelander, WI. We stopped there and had a takeout dinner at Culver’s.

We sat on the grass and ate our food as we chatted about the ride so far, getting to know one another and fellowshipping. We then had a short devotional on Peter’s walk on the water called “Get out of the Boat”. Basically, this talk outlined the idea that while we make fun of Peter sinking while losing faith, there were 11 other guys just sitting in the boat. Christ isn’t in the boat, He’s out on the water. Jump in and start walking toward Christ. The boat feels safe, but if you aren’t making tracks toward Christ, safe just isn’t good enough. Take the next step and get your feet wet.

We returned through Tomahawk along Hwy 8 and 107 to Merrill, and then back to Wausau. 160 miles, great scenery, great company, fellowship, and a desire to make it a yearly event… we call that a success! Here are some pictures to show you the group and the ride.

Our Group in the Highland Parking lot ready to leave

Mr. Mitch Cooper with our Safety Briefing