The Bike Temple Blog

Attend a Mormon service, Sunday Feb 5th

2012-02-02T02:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Unbelievers, Believers, and Everyone Else --

The Bike Temple is going on its first 2012 expedition this Sunday to attend a Mormon church service in Northeast Portland.

Meet at The Waypost Cafe at noon, ride at 12:30. Service starts at 1:00. 3722 NE Going St. -- you can also meet us outside the building if you like.

Mormons, more than any other religion, are known for bicycling. Young Mormon men are encouraged to accept a 2 year assignment as missionaries for their church, and they often ride bicycles. It's a beautiful thing.

Mormon Sunday Services consist of a three hour series of meetings. We'll just attend the first hour, though if there is compelling interest to stay we can do that.

The meetings are:
* Sacrament Service, 12:00 - 1:15. Meet in the sanctuary, members of the church partake of the "sacrament" (communion, bread and water), then there's 35 minutes of talks by members of the congregation. On the first Sunday of the month, members don't eat breakfast or lunch, and the Sacrement Service is "open mike" where anyone who feels so compelled can stand an testify their beliefs. Expect about 80 people in attendance.
* Sunday School, 1:35 - 2:05. Bible study, Book of Mormon study, or Mormon church history study. Expect about 10 people/class.
* Womens' and Mens' meetings, 2:15 - 3:00. Expect about 15 people/class.

More on The Mormons

Mormons are one of the few religions that was founded in the United States. Founder Joseph Smith said he was visited by an angel, and later given gold tablets by an deceased American Indian who returned as an angel. The tablets were translated into the "Book of Mormon" -- the spiritual history of the American Indians and their relationship with the god of the Bible. The book is still held as truth by adhering Mormons, though it has significant failings in its claims to be a historical document.

After rocky beginnings, including communitarianism, grift, wife swapping, polyandry, militias, the Mormons moved west, leaving the United States in 1847 to settle in today's Utah, only to be annexed back into the US shortly afterwards.

In the 1960s, the Mormon Church was at its finest, and touted its strengths as an American instution. Since then, its status has waned, conversions have all-but ceased, and the church leadership remains stuck in a 1960s mentality. Church services are essentially unchanged, dress is unchanged, staunch lifestyle requirements adopted in the early to mid 1900s remain unchanged, and many modern youth are not endeared to this lifestyle. Meanwhile, the internet has made it possible for members to read alternative versions of the origins of their church, which include historical events that do not support the assertions of the church leaders as being led by a diety, but rather show an eclectic bunch of men trying to create a religion out of whole cloth, and using non-god-sanctioned means to control the masses.

So, come meet the Mormons, prepare to travel back in time to about 1975. Women wear dresses, men white shirts and ties with no facial hair, and free range children.

After the meeting we can gather at a watering hole on Alberta and debrief.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted, exmormon.
(I spent 2 years in Hong Kong as a Mormon Missionary, and had 2 months of riding a bicycle out of the deal...)

Blessing of The Bicycles: Wednesday at St. Stephens

2011-10-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Photo from the 2010 Blessing of the Bicycles

This Wednesday is the annual Blessing of The Bicycles at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Home of the Portland Bike Shrine.

St. Stephen's has a corner of their sanctuary set aside as a bicycle shrine, where bicyclists can come in and meditate whenever the building is open. There are a few icons and artifacts there, including the ghost bike that commemorated PNCA student Tracey Sparling's fatal crash location.

You'll want to come a bit early to this event. Come right on inside, with your bike (use the wheelchair ramp on the north side). Then you can mix and mingle, enjoy the harp music, and wait for the very short service to begin.

The service consists of
* the prelude music (usually by Halley the Harper -- Portland's own Bicycling Street Harpist),
* a short reading by Deacon Ken and others, praising the bicycles and the hardy people that ride them,
* a blessing of each bicycle in the sanctuary with holy water and a few words,
* then a short closing statement, and
* socializing with punch and cookies.

5:30 - 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the parish, 1432 S.W. 13th Ave (SW 13th at Clay).

Note that the event only lasts 15 minutes. If you're schedule challenged like me, plan to arrive by 5:15 at the latest.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

**********

More info:

* St. Stephens web page here and Bike Shrine page here. (no mention of the blessing, maybe their web guru is out for the month)

* Portland Tribune story on the service Here.

* St. Stephens also blesses pets -- here's a Facebook link to their "Celebrity All-Star Pet Bless-O-Rama EXTRAVAGANZA!"

East Portland Sacred Spaces ride tomorrow

2011-09-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

This just in -- 3rd annual "East Portland Sacred Spaces" ride is tomorrow.

*************

Hey all, it's our 3rd Annual Sacred Spaces Ride, this Saturday,
October 1st, from 9:30 am to Noon, starting and ending at the
Eastminster Church, 12505 NE Halsey. For early arrivals, there is also
a free breakfast at 9 am.

The ride is about 14 miles on mostly residential streets in northern
East Portland, and includes a labyrinth, a sacred druid grove, an
Orthodox church, a Lutheran church, and several other sacred spaces.
The ride is lead by our own Brian Heron, recently returned from a
74-day bike tour of the western US.

We hope to see you there!

***************

& check out their nifty flier from the First Annual ride in 2009
http://biketemple.blogspot.com/2009/10/portland-sacred-spaces-ride-tomorrow.html

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

"Joy of Xhurches" ride, Sunday Aug 7th

2011-08-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

The Bike Temple is pleased to partner with Matt at the Xhurch to have the first ever tour of Xhurches in Portland.

Xhurchs are buildings that look like churches, used to be churches, but aren't churches anymore. They may be private residences, community centers, event centers, schools, or anything else.

On the June "Joy of Sects" ride we visited the Xhurch on NE 20th and Going -- we were invited in by Matt, who told us about the various events that happen there, some religious, some secular, and some somewhere in between. (like a live nativity scene -- http://www.xhurch.net/nativity_slideshow.html )

The ride will visit xhurches of all descriptions -- including a "nascent xhurch" -- a masonic temple, turned Christian church, now for sale for whatever purpose anyone cares to put it to.

Meet at the Bike Temple at 11:00am, depart at 11:15 sharp. We'll cover 6 different xhurches in about 12 miles. Pace is slow.

Bike Temple is at 6 NE Wygant St. (N Williams at Wygant).

Your in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Downtown and NW Sunday Parkways -- This Sunday

2011-07-18T22:41:00.001-07:00

Portland's next Bicycle Holy Day is this Sunday, when Sunday Parkways returns to the Northwest to sanctify some of the most profane streets in the city.

The route promises a transformation of 8 miles of downtown streets into sacred space for humans and their pedal-powered machines. Big streets, normally filled with vile, smoking smoldering cars will be made open to us, in a wonderful example of how we can make our future Bicycle Heaven right here on the existing pavement in Portland Oregon.

The transformation will come to Big Name Streets. Streets best known for gridlock, smog, big boxes of steel, unhappy humans stuffed in the cars or squoozen between them. Naito Parkway (2 lanes will be free of cars). Columbia Street (lined with profane financial institutions) and SE Stark.

Portland is going to great lengths to make this transformation happen -- we Believers should turn out in force, to play and ride in these beautiful spaces. Bring your friends. Come and walk, ride, skate or dance. Enjoy the beautiful downtown canyons, play on the park blocks, see sights never seen before by the un-windshielded eyes.

Sunday July 23rd, 11am to 4pm. From Waterfront Park and the Salmon Street Fountain in the SE to the Portland Art Museum and Park Blocks in the SW, to Union Station and the Overton Neighborhood Greenway in the NE to Wallace Park and Chapman School in the NW, come and enjoy a car-free downtown!

Bring your friends.

The Bike Temple will be staffing a corner, possibly at Johnson and 17th. Stay tuned.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Enjoy Sunday Parkways with the Bike Temple

2011-05-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Faithful,

Tomorrow is the first "Sunday Parkways" event of the year in the Holy Bicycle City of Portland. From now until September, the fourth Sunday of each month will be observed with the closure of an 8-mile loop of streets for sacred travel by bicycle, skateboard, foot, and other modes of transportation.

This divine gift is a fabulous opportunity for bicyclists of all stripes and skills to get out and experience a car-free city. A city free of the noise, smells, and potential fatal interaction that cars impose on their surroundings. There will be masses of children wobbling along, families out together, and elderly people. And you.

The route stretches from Lents Park in the northwest to the Springwater Trail in the south. There's also a Lents Street Fair, or something along those lines.

The Bike Temple is hosting the intersection of SE 88th and Reedway -- just north of Foster Blvd and just south of Lents Park. We'll be there from 11am to 4pm, offering bicycle blessings, sermons from the 2030 Portland Bicycle Plan, miraculous healings, and general socializing. Stop by and join us, and enjoy the wonderful parade of two-wheeled traffic rolling by. Bring your own holy equipment or music to share -- bells, whistles, musical instrument, holy scripture, communion, sidewalk chalk, incense, etc.

If you want to help set up, we'll meet at N Williams and Wygant at 9:30, roll out at 9:45, and head back to N Portland at about 4:15, any help staging equipment or carrying part of the load is welcome.

And remember -- Sunday Parkways events are unparalleled opportunities to put your bicycle-lite or nonbicycling friends on a bike, rolling around, having a safe and wonderful time. It's an opportunity for conversion. If they have a great time tomrrow, they'll be more likely to get on a bike in the future. You can even load the bikes on the back of your car and drive there to make the whole experience easier for them.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Map and details at
http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?a=282549&c=51515 and
http://bikeportland.org/2011/05/18/pbot-to-make-portion-east-portland-carfree-on-sunday-53152

Possible new home for the Bike Temple?

2011-04-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

Believers, Unbelievers, and Anyone Else --

The Bike Temple has a possible new home at the "Rainbow Love Sherbert House" on N Williams and Wygant. The RLS has a 20 x 60 commercial space built into the side of the house, and they're looking for tenants who want to be part of a small community of artists there. Br. Taddeas and Pasture Ted investigated the space on Monday, and deemed it suitable to our needs.

We'd have the "Williams" end of the space, with a private entrance onto N. Williams Ave. The other end has access to N. Wygant (for better street parties) through a garage door.

It looks like a good prospect for The Temple -- we'd be able to store all of our sacred material there (pulpit, shrine, pop-up canopy, art supplies) as well as our healing tools and spare bike parts.

They'd give us access to the space during the day, access to the restroom in the house, and they'd encourage us to make the place the home for The Temple, and be part of their little community. The rest of the community includes a house, 6 humans, a cat, and a good-size permaculture garden.

They pay $400 for the entire warehouse, and we'd be expected to pay about $100.

If we take them up on it, we'd be able to do most of the things we did at the old Highland Church location -- weekly healing ministry, our sign on the door, storage of our religious equipment. They don't have a sanctuary or large kitchen, but we would be able to have modest worship services.

*******

So, moving party for The Temple on Friday evening -- probably to the RLS House, and if not there then to Pasture Ted's new basement as another temporary location. Meet at 60 NE Tillamook at 7pm, April 29, for 1 hour of sorting and packing, then an hour of bike-moving.

******

Thoughts, testimonials, concerns?

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Ride to a Jehovah's Witnesses Service on Sunday night

2011-04-14T21:16:00.001-07:00

Templors --

Our first event of the spring is suddenly upon us -- we were invited by the Jehovah's Witnesses to attend a service on Sunday night, 9pm.

Meet at Pasture Ted's house at 7:30 for snacks, or 8:00 to ride.

None of the Temple people I've spoken to know much about the JWs, but the faith received one negative review by a former adherent on the Temple's Facebook page. If one bad review isn't enough to get you curious, try a few google searches and you may find more reviews.

Details --

* Meet at 60 NE Tillamook, 7:30 to socialize, we'll leave here at 8:15 pm.
* Sunday April 16.
* Ride to Kingdom Hall at 3333 N Willamette Blvd (near Rosa Parks and Greeley).
* Service begins at 9.
* We'll make informal arrangements before we enter the building as to when we'll leave -- secret waves of the hand like "it's 10:30 and this is going on for-EV-er -- I'm ready to go to the bar." or "Hey I'm really digging this, let's stay until it's all oooover"
* Optional -- go to Florida Room bar on Killingsworth and Commercial (435 N Killingsworth). At the Florida Room we can sit on a church pew and drink beer, and look across the street at the Chapel Pub (which is pretty to look at but the food kinda sucks).

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

More on the Jehovahs Witness Faith --

****************

Pasture Ted's account --

I learned most of what I know by reading a book called "The American Religion" by a professor named Harold Bloom. He theorizes that all religions that were founded in America were "post-Christian" because they believe that each individual can communicate with and develop a relationship with God. This is, apparently, different from the Old-World-founded religions.

It's been a long time since I read the book, but he gives remarkably tidy histories of all the large-scale religions founded in the U.S. -- Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, Jehovahs Witnesses, Pentacostals, and a few others. So that's the sort of "family" of religions in which the JWs fall.

The other stuff I know first-hand is:

* Their worship facilities are spartan, and have no windows.

* They like to give out newsprint brochures with interesting, colorful artwork. The artwork gave it a distinct feel, and in my opinion did not produce an air of "legitimacy" to the faith (the faith I grew up in had glossy, modern tracts with photos rather than drawings). The one I received the other day (see image) has a distinctly different style of graphics (photos) and wasn't printed on newsprint. At this point this is merely a point of interest, I'm no longer more impressed with glossy stuff than newsprint stuff.

* I've talked to the JW missionaries once, a couple years ago. I tried to get them to realize that the major tenant of the Old Testament (first half of the Bible) is basically a history of deity-mandated genocide. I probed at them for a while to determine if they would personally commit genocide if the deity in whom they believed required it of them. After they both eventually said they would, I told them that I wasn't really interested in knowing much more from them.

****************

Various accounts --

* Leif, a Temple Adherent here in Portland, posted a negative review of the faith on the Temple Facebook page. Leif writes --
I was raised JW, mostly... The death anniversary would be more ceremonial (probably the most ceremonial thing they have - I always felt jipped in that regard), while the talk is... a talk. Full of plain earnest rhetoric. And as gorey as the Old Testament is, they're not going to talk about taking action on world problems. They may cite those current issues as signs that the end times are at hand, however.

* This page appears to be a JW-published Q & A about the faith. http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnesses/Beliefs/their_beliefs.htm
such as
"Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to associate with non-Witnesses including family. Exceptions are made if the non-Witness family member is living in the same household." (hey, at least they're open about it)
and
"They totally deny the existence of the traditional Christian view of Hell. Satan is regarded as having created the concept of Hellfire in order to turn people against God."
and
"Jesus crucified on a stake not a cross"

* Jehovah's Witness Recovery site -- where people post things that are not necessarily faith-promoting, such as "How did you de-program?"
http://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9180

Other comments, encounters, snippets of info, anyone?

Here comes the sun!

2011-04-08T11:53:00.001-07:00

Your holy clergy has great things in the works, or at least they will very soon.

In the name of the wheel, the chain, and the hollow frame,
Let us ride.

Christmas Eve Joy of Sects!

2010-12-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

Jamison Square, NW 10th Ave and Johnson St (Meet by the Christmas Tree)

5:45pm

Join the Bike Temple for a fun, easy paced ride to various christian churches for Christmas Eve Services as well as some Christmas Lights and Dinner.

We will meet at Jamison Square and head out to churches in Southeast, North/Northeast and Northwest/Downtown Portland.

Bring $ for Dinner and Drinks.

Epic Snow Storm Ride Recap and Photos!

2010-11-22T20:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came out for tonight's epic snow ride at the last minute. I know it was cold and trudging your way through all that snow pack wasn't easy, but I hope everyone had fun. Here is a quick little recap and photo set to remember the ride by, and to make those who weren't there a little jealous :)

Around 45 people gathered at the Vera Katz statue on the Eastbank Esplanade just as the first flakes began to drop, we warmed ourselves with fresh-baked cookies and conversation for a few minutes but decided it would be best to get ready to roll quickly, as it soon became obvious that the magnificent snow storm the weatherpeople had been predicting for the past 2 weeks was upon us. I assembled the group around the statue for this quick photo before we rode out, just as the blizzard began piling up around us...

We quickly hit the road, the riders were all very confident and skilled and I'm pleased to report that we had only one minor fall, and nobody was hurt. We slipped and slid our way down the esplanade and soon arrived at our first stop, OMSI. By this time the snow flurries were so thick that it was nearly impossible to see, but we got off this picture just in time...

After leaving we rode east toward Mount Tabor. Here is a pic I snapped of us struggling to see through the snowstorm as we crossed Sandy Blvd...

And here we are making snow angels in the thick of the blizzard on Mount Tabor...

Oh, Al. You are such a goofball...

We decided to wrap things up with a stop off at Roots for some great organic beer and food, where we stayed for several hours enjoying eachother's company. I took this picture just after the snow storm knocked out the power in the area...

I hope everyone had a great time, I know I did. I'm sure glad I listened to the Portland forecasts and went out and enjoyed the weather. It wasn't just the same old rainy and cold night like we usually get, that's for sure!

Our departing group shot as we left Green Dragon...
...Oh, Al!

Appetite Enhancement Ride

2010-11-17T13:57:00.001-08:00

Bicyclists in Sacramento, CA have turned Thanksgiving into a Bicycle Holy Day. For ten years now they've had a family friendly ride through town on Thanksgiving morning. The otherwise profane urban highways are turned into sacred space every Thanksgiving, whether bicyclists are there to enjoy it or not. So, might as well gather together, have some socializing, and enjoy a few hours of bike-topia.

November weather in Portland is a bit less conducive to a carefree ride, but I don't see why that should stop us. It's still a great time to see what Portland could be like if there were no cars. And experience the pleasure of bombing around downtown without a care in the world.

Join us, 10am on Thanksgiving, to observe this sacred time for bicycling. We'll meet at the Red and Black Cafe at 400 SE 12th Ave at 10am, and ride at 10:30. The only other people we'll see in quantity will be the homeless, so bring food to give away if you feel so inclined.

Expect to find a magical mystery world downtown. Silent canyons of concrete and glass. An opportunity to look up and around to see the neon signs and fun facades. With no concern for being flattened by an SUV or rear-ending a taxicab.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

See this fun photoseries of the Sacramento Appetite Enhancement Rides

2008 http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/1050/Appetite_Enhancement_Ride
2009 http://heckasac.blogspot.com/2009/11/appetite-enhancement-ride-2009.html

(BTW, does anyone have photos of the 2008 or 2009 W.E.R.s in Portland? I was here in 2008, but don't have photos, and I missed 2009.)

Bike Blessing at Portland Bike Shrine this Tuesday

2010-10-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Portland Bike Shrine at St. Stephens Episcopal Church is having their third annual Bike Blessing this Tuesday, All Saints Day. 5:30 - about 6:00. We might go out for bevereges or dinner afterward. NW Clay and 13th.

We'll do a ride there from the NE, but if you're already downtown or on the west side just come over and have you and your bike blessed for the fall season.

http://www.stst.org/

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Meeting Minutes, Oct 25 2010

2010-10-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

Brief meeting report --

In attendance (in order of appearance) --
* Scott
* Pasture Ted
* Deacon Amos
* Buddah Bill
* Bro. Taddeas

Agenda Items Discussed --

* New space. Decided we want a space for ritual and community, with or without bicycle healing. Bicycle healing would be good, though. St. Stephens doesn't have a basement for healing, but basement could still be used for crafts, storage, meetings, etc. Buddah and Bro. T both thought a West Side location would be good, we discussed the merits of each -- West Side has relatively few bicycle community services and a Temple space would be well utilized. But North/Northeast, while it has bike shops, lacks lots more services, and has a lot of church basements.
- Continue to look into 8th and Failing Church (Pasture)
- Talk to St. Stephens, (Buddah and Bro. T)

* Service. We talked about temple "services" like dinners, and community "service" like helping folks out. Got a bit jumbled. We're going to have a Thanksgiving Service. We'll ask at 8th and Failing and St. Stephens, see if anyone wants to sponsor us. Pasture and Decon reported a successful community service event at parishoner Adam's shop. Thinking 4th weekend of the month for one type of service or another.

* Sects Rides. Generally monogamous, since its the rainy season.
Tentatively planning for
- Jehovahs' Witnesses for Nov 7, Bro. T. will look into it.
- Buddah wants to plan a Big Church to visit in early December, Scott suggested Presbyterian on Ash or a big on on the Park blocks.
- Scott is planning a choral/Christmas service ride, multiple sects on one night.
- Hanukkah ride -- ask Rabbi or Kernal? 2nd annual!

* Movies
Sister Carye is going to something on Wednesday night, sounded interesting, we'll encourage her to advertise through the Temple. Scott suggested screening Brother Sun Sister Moon and other 1970s-era religious documentaries. Also suggested Fiddler on the Roof or Dr. Jivago (sp?) for Jewish themes. We decided to do it, but no further action taken just yet. Talk to Grand Master Morgan about using his house.

* Memorial Services
We talked about offering some basic services if a bicyclist dies, like a 5 minute ceremony, doing a moment of silence, distributing bike bells, etc. All agreed that they'd like to have this, and that other people might too. Work on other possibilities, have a subgroup meet with Rev. Phil in a couple weeks to discuss further.

Meeting adjourned 8pm
Comments, corrections welcome
Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Meeting of The Clergy -- Monday night

2010-10-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Meeting of The Clergy, 6:30 - 8pm, Pasture's House (old house) 60 NE Tillamook St. Monday Oct 25th

All are welcome! Come be more involved in your religion.

The basic questions -- what will we do this winter?
* Find a space for worship, healing, both?
* Activites?
* Community Service
* Sects?
* Potlucks, movie nights, other respectable churchy activities?
* General temple services to believers -- weddings, funerals, births, etc.
* Readings of the Bike Plan and other canonized texts?

Beer, Tea and Chocolate provided for communion.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Photo Recap–Sunday Parkways 2010

2010-10-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

The holy season of Sunday Parkways has come to an end. Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped us out and the passers by who shared their time with us. We had an amazing time and are already planning for next year!

Sunday Parkways Northwest!

2010-09-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

Dear bicycle believers, your fellow faithful servants in the clergy will once again grace an intersection with their presence, incense, holy artifacts, music, merriment, and anything else that we think up between now and then. Join us at the last Sunday Parkways of the year...

Sunday Parkways Northwest
Sunday, September 26th
NW 17th and Johnson
10am-3pm

If you are feeling extra charitable and would like to help us load and haul our mobile religious equipment to the site, meet Pasture Ted at his home at 60 NE Tillamook at 9am Sunday morning.

See you all Sunday!

Join us on a Sunday Excursion to the Grotto!

2010-09-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

THE GROTTO by Bike
(A Bike Temple Sunday Excursion)
Sunday Sept 19th, 2010
10am
Elevated Coffee (5261 NE MLK Blvd)
...Leader: Sister Carye

Oh the Grotto -- one of Portland's seven wonders perhaps -- The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, a 62 acre catholic shrine and botanical garden right off 82nd Avenue and Sandy Blvd! -- where you pay a $4 elevator token to visit the upper cliff to see the lifelike Mary and more! We will attend Noon Mass, and have a little potluck brunch afterward before we wander, walk the labyrinth, and seek peace within. More info on the Grotto's history: http://www.thegrotto.org/index.php/about-us/history/

More Details:
Bring money for the elevator, a potluck brunch-lunch item to share...and don't forget the Grotto has a huge gift shop! This field trip also encourages any other explorations of the area that may come up. Arrive early at the coffee shop to enjoy your morning 'heaven', we'll leave on bikey time. The tour will probably head back around 3pm depending on interest.

RSVP via the Facebook event page here.

A Reading From the Holy Book

2010-09-02T21:19:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who rolled and stopped by our impromptu reading from the Portland 2030 Bicycle Master Plan today on the Steel Bridge ramps during the evening commute. We had a great time and converted many new souls!

Reading of the Bicycle Master Plan at the Steel Bridge?

2010-08-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 9/2
Looks like it's on. We'll be at the Steel ramps on your way home from work today!

I had a great time reading passages from the Portland Bicycle Master Plan two weeks ago at Sunday Parkways. When the plan was passed six months ago, I thought it would be fun to have a reading at Powell's or something.

Biking home on the Steel Bridge last week I had another idea. Since the Broadway Bridge is closed, there's a ton of bikes on the lower deck of the Steel Bridge, and they all make that long climb up to the street on the east side. It's slow, it's quiet, and its a bit tedious so a distraction would be welcome.

We could set up our tabernacle at the top of the hill by the RR bridge, with a pulpit, and wire sound to the whole ramp. Since it takes a minute or so to climb the ramp, people would have enough time to hear a couple paragraphs from the Bike Plan.

If it goes well, we could even invite some of the Plan Authors, like Roger Geller, Mia Birk and Ellen Vanderslice to participate. But we only have a week left of the heaviest bike traffic, since the Broadway bridge is supposed to open again on Sept 3.

What would it take? I assume there's an electrical outlet somewhere there that we could tap into. A couple hundred feet of wire, a dozen beater speakers to string out along the path?

Thoughts, comments?

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

*************

Here's a few random passages from the Bike Plan.

1.1.7
Bicycling creates fun, vibrant and livable neighborhoods Bicycling promotes interaction between neighbors, strengthens a person’s awareness and connection to the Portland community and provides ‘eyes-on-the-street’ security. It is an important component in creating the types of dynamic neighborhood streets where people oft en prefer to live and the vibrant public spaces that support local retail activity.

Converting Souls to the Bicycle–Pasture Ted's Guide to Effective Cyclevangelism

2010-08-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

The August SE Sunday Parkways was a smashing success, and Deacon Amos wasn't the only one to deliver a sermon on the route. Behold Pasture Ted's delivery of "Converting Friends to the Bicycle."

This type of message was what we referred to growing up as the "lesson". Sunday services always consisted of 2 parts: First was the lesson, which was always an instructional, less formal, and sometimes interactive message delivered by one of the more thoughtful members of the congregation, followed by the "sermon" or "message" depending on the house rules. The sermon was always more dramatic, and was designed to leave you feeling either inspired or fearful, depending on how the presenter was feeling that day. It's nice to see that the delivery styles of Deacon Amos and Pasture Ted fit nicely into that mold, we hope to bring you many more lessons and sermons going forward.

The PianoBike -- Mobile Religious Equipment from Utah

2010-08-17T12:28:00.001-07:00

New Mobile Religious Equipment from Salt Lake City, Utah. The PianoBike!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kbLKhUu2Gs

We totally need to get them to pedal out to Portland for September Sunday Parkways.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

(Thanks to Travis Anna for the link!)

Deacon Amos preaches a sermon

2010-08-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Bike Temple enjoyed a glorious day at Sunday Parkways. Tens of thousands of happy bicyclists pedaled by and enjoyed our organ music, sermons, recitations, and blessings.

And here Deacon Amos reads a few passages from the Portland Bicycle Master Plan.

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

Sunday Parkways Southeast–Join us at 16th and Ankeny

2010-08-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Dear bicycle believers, your fellow faithful servants in the clergy will once again grace an intersection with their presence, incense, holy artifacts, music, merriment, and anything else that we think up between now and then. Join us...

Sunday Parkways Southeast
Sunday, August 15th
SE 16th and Ankeny
10am-3pm

If you are feeling extra charitable and would like to help us load and haul our mobile religious equipment to the site, meet Pasture Ted at his home at 60 NE Tillamook at 9am Sunday morning.

We are also wrapping up work on our portable alter and pulpit this evening (Thursday) from 6-8pm-ish, feel free to stop by and help or hang!

See you all Sunday!

Work Party and Meeting on Sunday the 8th

2010-08-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Believers, Heathens, and everyone else --

We'll have a work party and meeting on Sunday to get ready for Sunday Parkways on the 15th.

Meet at 60 NE Tillamook St., 6 pm - 8 pm.

Agenda --
* Finish the altar (see pic)
* Practice preaching from the pulpit
* Get incense, chalk, etc. ready
* Bring your sacred music to make a scred music track for our sound system
* Partake of communion together
* Plan for the fall, etc?

Bring:
* Offerings for the altar -- incense, personal holy artifacts, images, candles and other flames, sacred oil, adornments, etc.
* Sacred music to share
* Snacks or beverages
* Plans, ideas, beliefs, dreams

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

More mobile religious equipment!

2010-08-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday's work party was a great success. We decided to focus on building sacred tools for use in the field, and got a lot of work done. The portable shrine is nearly complete, and Pasture ted and Brother Tadeus finished this great pulpit, ready to be hauled out to the next Sunday Parkways for some good ol' fashioned preachin'!

Help Sanctify the Temple–Work Party this Sunday

2010-07-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a great work party a few months back we were able to move and set up the Temple shop at the Pasture's Ranch at 60 NE Tillamook. Due to a very busy and bikey summer we have yet to put the finishing touches on the space, however, and a little more work needs to be done before we can open the doors to the public.

This weekend's work party will focus on organizing the space and setting it up as a holy/spiritual center, as well as a community bike repair shop. We are looking to hang decorative fabrics, make candle holders, paint murals, create shrines, or any other form of sanctification that will make the space feel like a temple.

Please join us and bring anything you have that may help create the space. Fabric, paint, ornaments and trinkets, or religious paraphernalia are of immense help.

Sunday, August 1st
2PM-6PM
60 NE Tillamook
(Basement door at the rear left corner of the house.)

Why its cool to go to church...

2010-07-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

There's a fun post on huffingtonpost.org by Norris J. Chumley today about why it's cool to go to church. These are the sorts of things that I miss when I think about the days I was a good, believing churchgoer. And these are the things I'd like to see introduced into a secular bicycle religion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norris-j-chumley-phd/why-its-cool-to-go-to-chu_b_654288.html

Here's his list -- what do you think?

1. The Eucharist, or Holy Communion. The bread and wine as the body and blood of Jesus Christ, God in human form, is a physical uniting with God inside. After all the prayers, chants and setting aside the self, I feel a tangible connection, a bond made between Heaven and Earth, when partaking of the Eucharist.

2. The Holy Trinity. All I can say is that the three-in-one, separate-yet-whole-at-the-same-time reality explains my continual human feeling of being separate from God, yet connected. I had learned in yoga that "All-Is-One," and that extends to Christianity in the Trinity.

3. God is human in Jesus Christ. This is also the Holy Trinity, incarnated, which means "in the flesh." The Holy Spirit, from God, becomes human in Christ. With the Eucharist or Communion, my humanness unites with God, too. Church gives me that. The experience is indescribably wonderful.

4. Love. Christ's teachings center in love for God and humanity. Despite years of problems, even wars, the central teaching of Jesus Christ is about love. I feel that love in the community of the church. I see the love of God and humanity in the service programs my church provides: homeless shelters, food and assistance for those who are in need, counseling, education, and other projects.

5. God is present in Creation. I see His infinite excellence everywhere the more I pray and attend church. Using the Jesus Prayer helps me connect to God in everything and everyone.

6. Community. After years of solitary meditation on emptiness, I love the fellowship of church. It's so cool and fun to get together with others who also love God. I've made a lot of lasting friendships at church, people who truly care, and we help each other, and we have many great times.

7. Singing hymns and chanting. Music feels like God in the form of sound waves.

8. Religious symbols. The church icons, books, candles, incense, the Cross -- all are tangible reminders to look to God, and to connect with His presence. Others in church are like living icons reminding me of God in Christ.

9. Prayers. To me, prayer is a portable connection to God. In prayer, I feel the presence of God. The Jesus Prayer particularly, used by monks and nuns, and in some churches, is especially powerful.

10. Church suppers. I love to cook, and I love to eat -- community church meals are especially fantastic. There's nothing quite like a church potluck or picnic.

************

Though our "Joy of Sects" rides don't allow us to develop roots in any one religious community, they do provide a window on diverse religious groups, and are particularly good for folks who would go stir-crazy if they had to sit in in particular congregation week after week.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Meeting of The Clergy -- Sunday at 6

2010-07-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Templors --

It's time to talk about the next steps for The Temple -- what will we do for the rest of the summer, will we try to find another church to occupy?

Come meet with us if you're interested in what goes on, what will come down the pipe, etc. Newbies welcome.

Meet at 6pm - 7:30, at 60 NE Tillamook St (temporary home of The Temple).

Possible agenda items --

Reports --
* Joy of Sects
* Cheap Ass Helmets
* Genesis Ride
* Sunday Parkways *2

Upcoming --
* Reopen Healing Services?
* Service program (organize volunteers for bikey needs)
* Find a new church?
* Joy of Sects -- Monagamous and otherwise -- summer?
* Creed, doctrine?
* Membership?
* Heaven?

Come one, come all!

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Bike Temple+Museums by Bike field trip this Friday!

2010-07-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

The Bike Temple & Museums by Bike are collaborating to present a bicycle field trip to the Comic Artist/Illustrator R. Crumb Book of Genesis: the bible Illuminated exhibit at the Portland Art Museum! Fourth Fridays are Free from 5-8pm so all you need is your bicycle -- and maybe some beer money for discussion/hang out afterward.

Meet at 6pm
Friday, July 23, 2010
at Bridge City Comics
3725 N. Mississippi Ave.

Extra-credit for attending the great festivities at the museum afterward, and possibly a ride to Chapel Pub when the dust settles?

A few pages from the interweb...

See more pages of the book on a Google Image Search

Sunday Parkways (finally) Visits the Numbers!

2010-07-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

East Portland (the numbers) is finally host to its first ever Sunday Parkways this weekend! As always, the Bike Temple will be on hand to offer bicycle blessings, musical entertainment, and shenanigous miscellany of great proportion.

This weekend's SP is especially important because many folks in outer east Portland have little or no positive experience with social streets and cycling in general. We hope you all can join us not only to share in the fun experience but to help us manage auto traffic at our intersection so not only the participants but also those living in the area can come away from this seeing it as a positive event and something they want to continue doing.

Join us this Sunday
from 10AM-3PM at SE 115th and SE Pardee St

We hope to see you all there!

Counting the Faithful

2010-07-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Want to help make the bicycle holy land even holier? It's time to count your many bicyclings!

Once again Portland will be conducting it's annual summer-fall bicycle count making use of our most precious of resources: YOU!

Portland collects some of the best data on bicycle use in the country and it's all because of the tremendous support we get from volunteers. As anybody who's done a count in past years will tell you--it's fun! It requires only two hours of your time and the information you collectively provide us is invaluable.

BACKGROUND

This year we will hope to collect data at more than 140 locations throughout Portland. That will require the participation of a lot of people. Because there is a specific protocol to follow, and because we want to make sure we're collecting data from when and where we need it, we offer a brief training for new volunteers. It involves pizza and soda, is informative and fun and is mandatory if you haven't counted before.

To see how we've used the data, look at our past reports here (count reports on left side of page)

VOLUNTEER COUNTER TRAINING: THURSDAY JULY 15

All new volunteers must attend the training. This year we'll be holding a one-hour training at The Portland Building (1120 SW 5th Ave) in Room C (second floor) beginning at 6:00pm. It may take less than an hour and we'll be serving pizza and soda.

PLEASE RSVP! (Just shoot Roger Geller a quick note and when you do, let us know what type of pizza you prefer)

We'd prefer to have only one training, but if you really can't make it let us know and we'll work with you to get you trained.

RETURNING VOLUNTEERS

If you counted for us in previous years and would like to do so again, just let us know and we'll send you the forms. What you need to tell us is:

Which location(s) you counted last year
Which location(s) you'd like to count this year
When you'll complete the counts

Even if you counted in previous years you are, of course, welcome to join us for pizza and soda.

"Night Ride" tonight -- a Bicycle Holy Day (night)

2010-07-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight marks yet another Bicycle Holy Day in Portland Oregon. It's the "Night Ride," a fun-filled, costumed ride around Portland, after dark.

I've never been on the Night Ride, so this will be my first. Does anyone want to meet up, we can don religious-theme costumes? I have a priest and a the Kernal's nun costume, and i can only wear one at a time. 1500 other riders expected.

Bicycle Holy Days are a great way to get your friends out on bikes. They're special events, enjoyable only on sacred transportation powered by your own legs. Make sure you're friends have a great time -- get their bikes all tuned up, pumped up, get good food and beverages in their tums, and come out and have a great time!

Details at http://www.thenightride.com/ And it's a BTA benefit.

9pm, Portland Train Station.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

What is the Economic Impact of Pedalpalooza?

2010-07-08T16:27:00.001-07:00

I just crunched a few numbers and, based on my bank statements and recollections of cash transactions I came up with a rough figure of $764.00 (detailed line-by-line report here) that I personally spent locally, specifically because of or for Pedalpalooza. This doesn't include income generated by my house guest who was visiting for PP, Items/services purchased by ride hosts (other than the rides I myself hosted), and other items (see below).

so...

If I spent $764.00 and attended 23 PP events, that's an average of $33.22 spent per ride.

This year's rides had anywhere from 3 to 13,000 attendees, so finding an average is hard but I'll give it a go. Let's first look at everything but WNBR, because if its unusually large draw. Based on my experience I'm going to estimate that your average PP ride had 25 attendees. I know that's completely arbitrary, but hey, my best guess is all I've got. With 297 events on the calender (298 -WNBR), if 25 people spent $33 at each of them, that's a total of $245,025. Add, possibly conservatively, another 10,000 riders for WNBR, spending, I can only guess, an average of $33 a piece and your total jumps to $575,025.

So, as best I can figure, a minimum of half a million dollars was dropped in Portland over the 2 and change weeks of bike fun (and if my tally is any indication, it was mostly spent on beer and tacos). My gut makes me think it's at least twice that, if anyone wants to have a go at calculating non-personal expenses like...

* Calender and poster printing and design
* Advertising revenue and increased profits based on them
* Lodging, meals, entertainment, and shopping dollars spend by out-of-towners visiting for PP
* WNBR site rental, porta-potties, entertainment, etc...
* MCBF porta-potties, complementary gifts with purchase, fireworks, etc...
* Bar tabs and other expenses spent during Shift/WNBR planning meetings
* Yadda, yadda, yadda...

...be my guest. Granted, this is very rough economics, so feedback on a more accurate total would be awesome.

-Deacon

Joy of Readerboard signs

2010-07-07T15:13:00.001-07:00

"If God is your copilot, switch places!

I passed this sign outside a church today, one of those nifty changeable message signs. I'm a big fan of these signs, called "Readerboard Signs" and would like to see them proliferate in The Bicycle Faith. All you need to do is bike around and see a church readerboard sign, and replace "God" or"Jesus" in the message with "bicycle" to suit your own religious belief. instance, a bicycle church would have a sign that said

"If Bicycle is your copilot, switch places!"

I'd like to do a marathon ride through Portland sometime this summer, passing all the churches that come up on google maps, and take photos with their signs, tastefully holding up the the word "bicycle" to modify the message. Maybe later in July? Joy of Readerboard Sects?

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Pedalpalooza Goes Out With a Bang

2010-06-28T10:04:00.001-07:00

In a fitting end to 17 days of non-stop, round-the-clock bike fun, the Multnomah County Bike Fair finally tied a big fat bow on that gift we call Pedalpalooza. We're still working on official wrap-ups to the Bike Temple events and programs that have been going on, but until then we hope you enjoy this media sampler of yesterday's events.

A small photographic set courtesy of Deacon Amos and Buddha Bill.

Wherein the hamster ball obliterates the wall of boxes and saves the baby.

Wherein, at the very end of the video, a jouster is made to establish a close relationship with his top tube.

Wherein a tall bike joust is quite successful.

2 Holy Events, 1 Blessed Day.

2010-06-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

This Sunday the Temple Clergy are participating in 2 wonderful events, one right after another. Come out and hang, help, or harass!

Sunday Parkways

N. Bryant and Wabash 10am-3pm

The Bike Temple will be taking over the intersection at N. Bryant and Wabash during the Sunday Parkways North Portland event. As usual, we will bring out our best in bicycle religious propaganda and accoutrement. We would love your company and could always use help controlling traffic and pleasing the masses.
MCBF SE Alder St. between 12th and 14th 2pm-7pm

The grand finale to Pedalpalooza (already!?), the Multnomah County Bike Fair will be held this year at a new location, and the Bike Temple will be there with a booth selling helmets for very little money. They're good, new, and safe helmets. Come on out if you want a cheap brain bucket, and to enjoy all of the crazy festivities that MCBF has to offer. If you would like to volunteer send let us know or just show up and tell us.

We hope to see you all there!

Eine Brise Performed at Pedalpalooza 2010

2010-06-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I know we still owe you a ride report and lots of pictures from the Joy of Sects ride, but there's simply too much bike fun going on right now to be typing indoors for any extended period of time. So, in lieu of the report I give you last night's performance of Eine Brise, a bicycle symphony organized on Mount Tabor last night by Fear no Music.

PEDALPALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZA!

2010-06-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! What to do while you're counting the hours until the Joy of Sects ride? You could watch this video of last night's Pedalpalooza Kickoff Ride... Or perhaps, go on a few others?

Choosing My Religion II–Join us this Sunday for the Second Annual Joy of Sects Pedalpalooza Ride

2010-06-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

That's right, bicycle believers! It's time once again for your favorite snap-judgment tour of religion on two wheels, The Joy of Sects! The Joy of Sects ride is like speed dating for religion. We meet up and ride to a handful of completely diverse and devout religious houses or worship and give them 10 minutes to tell us their story, why they do what they do, and why we should join them before we move on to the next. This year's Pedalpalooza ride will feature an entirely different array of religion from last year, so regular attendees can rest assured that this will be a new experience.

We hope to see you there!

Sunday, June 13th 2010 11:00am

Col. Summers Park,
SE 20th Ave and Belmont st

The Bike Temple's Award Riddled Weekend!

2010-06-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Bike Temple is delighted to be nominated for two prestigious awards this weekend, the Alice awards and the Too Po' Fo' Alice Community Awards!

We cordially invite you to enjoy attend your preferred event and cheer us and the other nominees on, and we will do our best to represent the temple at both events.

Pew(k)ing Monk Ride Video Recap

2010-05-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

Pew(k)ing Monk Ride

2010-05-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Join us May 30, 2010 @ high noon...

For the Pew(k)ing Monk Ride!

We are celebrating bars with pews and monks who brew beer.

We'll be starting at Mash Tun (NE 22nd Ave & NE Alberta St.)

Then to Upright Brewing (N 240 Broadway - Left Bank Project)

and on to APEX Beer Bar (SE 12th Ave and SE Division)
if we want Belmont Station, Horsebrass, Hopworks Urban or backyard BBQ...
Get to Mash Tun earlier if you want their delicious brunch.
Ride is free, beer costs money.

Thousands baptised at Sunday Parkways

2010-05-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

May 2010 Sunday Parkways was a great success for The Temple. We were at 10th and Ainsworth all day, with a reed organ, flute, trumpet, and garden hose. Thousands of bicyclists were baptized by our priests, nuns, and Jethro. Next Sunday Parkways is on June 27, we'll probably have the same sort of setup, but hopefully with some public seating so weary travelers feel welcome to sit down for a few minutes.

Want to help set up, staff, bless, and take down the operation? Have good ideas for what else we can do to better live and share the Bicycle Faith? Post comments here, or send us and email at biketemple@gmail.com

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Two Bicycle Holy Days this week

2010-05-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

The busy sacred summer season begins in Portland this week, where Bicycle Believers have two Holy Days to observe in the same week.

First, Sunday Parkways -- Sunday May 16th, 10am - 3pm.

Enjoy 8 miles of car free streets in inner NE Portland, Linking Woodlawn park, Alberta Park, Whilshire Park and Fernhill Park. Tens of thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians will flood the route. It's great, it's slow, it's car-free. It's a good time to bring your non-believing or questioning friends out for a bike ride. You'll have plenty of things to see, places to stop, and they don't need to worry about "slowing you down."

More info:

* Our report from last July's Sunday Parkways, where thousands were baptised.
* Primer from bikeportland.org
* Map from the City of Portland.

Second, the Ride of Silence.

The Ride of Silence is a memorial ride to recognize and grieve those who have died on their bicycles. Portland has lost a handful of bicyclists in the last year, and certainly many of us have come uncomfortably close to being squished ourselves.

Wed May 19th, meet at Holliday Park in the Lloyd Center. Meet at 6:30, roll out at 7:00 pm. (At the Lloyd Center MAX station). Ride is 5 miles.

More info:
* Official information sheet
* National ride web page
* Bike Portland post

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Upcoming Bicycle Holy Day–Join the Bike Temple at Sunday Parkways NE

2010-05-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

The first of 5 (!) Sunday Parkways events is happening this weekend and, as has been our tradition, the Bike Temple will be there to greet, direct, bless, and maybe even baptize our fellow bicycle believers by the thousands!

This Sunday we will be stationed at NE Ainsworth and NE 10th ave, a magnificent intersection with a park splitting the lanes right down the middle. We will be there all day (10am-3pm) and we will do our best to make it one of your favorite parts of the route.

We would love it if you could join us for all or part of the day! Feel free to bring incense, candles, shrines, art, musical instruments, priest costumes, sound systems, swimming pools, or anything else that you think may make this a fun corner. If you have any great ideas for this SP or any following Parkways events, leave them in the comments.

Hope to see you there!

National Train Day Ride Report

2010-05-12T07:52:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Pasture Ted, Rabbi Aaron, and many others, the National Train Day Ride was a great success!

We towed the Milliped and several bike trailers with the Pasture's custom train cars on them all around town, stopping at a bike move and then to Union station to see the festivities. Check out some photos from Deacon Amos' camera below...

You can also check out Scott Batchelar's great shots in his Picassa photo pool here.

Thanks to everyone who came out, it was a blast!

National Train Day Ride Today!

2010-05-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Another nice day, another great ride! Pasture ted and Rabbi Aaron have organized the National Train Day Ride today at 2pm. Join us!

Date:	Saturday, May 8, 2010
Time:	2:00pm - 5:00pm
Location:	100 SE Alder St Portland OR

A couple options --
* dress up yourself like an engineer -- bib overalls, wooden whistles, or conductor cap
* dress up your bike like a train -- cardboard sides
* bring your trailer, and we'll have cardboard train cars to load on it
* bring lots of trailers and hook them up to make a Bike Train!

Meet at 2, roll at 2:30. Ride around various train-y spots in Portland, finish at 5:00 at Train Sushi at NW Broadway and Couch.

http://www.nationaltrainday.com/
http://www.shift2bikes.org/cal/

Sunny Friday Fun!

2010-05-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful Friday! If you haven't already made plans and are looking for a way to take advantage of the weather while it's still nice, a few of us from the Temple will be meeting up with the SEVEN WONDERS OF VANCOUVER RIDE & ART WALK happening today.

Ever wonder what's going on in our neighbor to the north, or simply just how to bike there? Join us, as we explore The 'Couve, Portland's hat!

Seven Wonders of Vancouver & Art Walk
Fri, May 7 5:45pm Peninsula Park Gazebo N Ainsworth & N Albina
Other Meetups: Paul Bunyan after 6pm & Old Apple Tree Park in Vancouver 6:30ish

Dress up (glitzy dress, flashy suits, arty flare ) and get on your bike - we are heading to Downtown Vancouver for the monthly First Friday Arts Walk! On the Way, Carye Bye will take you to see her "7 Wonders of Vancouver". Then we'll stop by art openings including, Sixth Street Gallery & Angst Gallery.
Other Meet up spots: On our way out of Portland, We'll stop at Kenton's Paul Bunyan just after 6pm if you want to take MAX to Denver. And at 6:30ish we'll gather any Vancouverites at Old Apple Tree Park. Return about 9pm. If you've never been to Vancouver by Bike, this is a great event to learn how! We will also have a chance to stop to get a quick meal/snack.

Who will save your soul? Help us plan the Joy of Sects!

2010-05-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Pedalpalooza is right around the corner, and the Clergy here will soon be busy brainstorming, contacting, and planning this year's Joy of Sects Pedalpalooza ride! Last year's ride was a huge success, and we want to make this year's even better!

Where would you like to visit this year? Any specific religions that you would like to know more about? Take our super-short survey here and help us plan the next edition of the world's greatest houses of worship bicycle tour!

Ministry Meeting tonight (Sunday)

2010-05-01T23:39:00.000-07:00

Meeting of the Ministry, tonight, 6:00 - 8:00 pm above the temple at 60 NE Tillamook. (Sunday May 2)

Talking about the last year, the next year, and

* June Joy of Sects
* Mormon Sects recap
* Healing Ministry

and other stuff?

All are welcome,

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Photos from the Joy of Mormon Sects Pilgrimage

2010-04-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

We hope to do a full write-up soon, but in the mean time here are some teaser photos from Deacon Amos' camera.

Bike temple meets mormon temple

2010-04-24T19:07:00.001-07:00

Your faithful bicycle missionaries sucessfully entered and toured the new mormon temple in vancouver bc. We were assigned our own private security tail team to watch and follow us through thee whole process of no fewer than 3 private guards due to our over-zealous prostelitizing before the tour.

We'll wrap up with full details and photos when we get back!

We're off to the holy land

2010-04-23T19:16:00.001-07:00

The faithful bicycle devotees of portland have sucessfully boxed, loaded, and boarded themselves and their loyal bicycles onto the comfortable and spacious Amtrak Cascades. We've already handed out a handful of tracts to old and new friends we've happened across on the train, and pasture ted has spent the past few hours telling the tale of the mormon faith.

If you're already in vancouver and would like to join us on our ride out to the temple, meet us at 10:00am at Nanaimo skytrain station.

More spirited stories to come!

Report: Sunday Work Party

2010-04-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday's work party was a success. We set up all the tools, workbenches, and toolracks, cleaned things up, installed another fluorescent light, etc.

We still need to sort and organize the bins of used parts and hang a few more tools, and we're ready to start healing bicycles again.

Much incense has been burned in the new temple space.

We may also start a morning ritual, as I've done it with Rabbi Aaron and/or Anne both mornings this week, and Anne smudged the space with sage on Monday.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Click on photos to see full-size image

Last Call -- Vancouver BC Joy of Temple-Building Sects

2010-04-20T22:26:00.001-07:00

We leave Friday at 3 to Vancouver BC to tour the Mormon Temple. We have accommodation arranged, will Skytrain/bike out to the temple on Saturday, ride around Vancouver and see the sights on Sunday. 4 confirmed participants.

Anyone else coming?

First we'll see this
http://www.vancouversun.com/Photos%20Photos%20Church%20Jesus%20Christ%20Latter%20Saints%20Langley/2775289/story.html

Then we'll have a discussion about the stuff they don't tell us -- bakers' caps, regulation underwear, required 10% donation of annual income to attend weddings, and where it all came from.

More perspectives:
* praise from the faithful
http://www.millennialstar.org/sweet-differences-vancouver-bc-temple-open-house/
http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/31630-secrets-mormon-temple-revealed.html

* criticism from the exmormons
http://www.exmormon.org/boards/w-agora/download_thread.php?site=exmobb&bn=exmobb_recovery&thread=1271711830
http://www.postmormon.org/exp_e/index.php/discussions/viewthread/21307/#380715

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Work Party, Sunday 2-6pm

2010-04-15T00:51:00.002-07:00

Believers, Skeptics, and Apostates --

We're having a Work Party this Sunday, 2 - 6pm, to set up a temporary Bicycle Healing Facility in my basement. Come on over and have a good time. Bring friends, snacks, donations (parts or tools) or just bring yourself.

We originally set up the Healing Facility (AKA "shop") at the Lotus Seed at NE 9th and Going, and had regular Wednesday Night services throughout the winter. Now, while we wait for our next Church Basement Invitation, we're setting up at 60 NE Tillamook St (between Williams and MLK). While it's not a church, it's a great location, because

It's at a nexus of the major bikeways in the N and NE. Anyone going from downtown to NE goes by here, same with SE to N.
It's in a the middle of a community bike shop void. The Temple was right near CCC and Bike Farm. Tillamook and Williams is 1.5 miles from the nearest shops where you can use tools -- equidistant from City Bikes (SE 7th and Ankeny), N Portland BikeWorks (N Mississippi and Failing), Bike Farm (NE Wygant and Garfield).
There's great outdoor workspaces for the summer.

Come by any time between 2 and 6, and you can

prime and paint tool racks
mount tools on racks
paint file cabinets
label and fill file cabinets
install hooks for frames and wheels
bolt down wheel truing stand
set up extension cord and overhead fluorescent lights
paint a new mural for the wall?
etc.

Yours in The Faith, br>
Pasture Ted

Bicycling for ethnic minorities -- presentation today at noon

2010-04-15T00:51:00.001-07:00

Most bicyclists in Portland look pretty white. And the bicycling industry caters toward the style preferences of middle class white folks.

If we're going to reach out to ethnic minorities, especially lower income ones, and help them see the modern miracle of bicycle transportation, we need to do something that we're not doing yet.

What is it? I'm not sure, but a good start would be to come to Allison Graves' presentation at the Portland Bicycle Brownbag series. Today at noon, Portland Building (SW 5th and Madison).

In my mind, I see it as being partially an outreach issue, but partly an issue of style preferences for transportation. Many black people drive older 4 door sedans (with sound systems, racing tires and chrome rims), while in the same neighborhoods white people drive Subarus. If bikes are associated with Subarus, it's not going to be an easy sell.

Scraper Bikes are the fad among the black community in Oakland, but I'm thinking that a more subdued appearance would be the preferred vehicle of the Portland crowd. Manufactured chrome rims. Dark, pure colors, or white, but no pastels. Something that looks like a Wall Mart full suspension bike, but is lighter and actually rideable.

There's lots of low-income black, hispanic and SE Asian people in Portland, who work low-paying jobs all over the city. They would all benefit from development of a bicycle culture that revolved around their style preferences so they can choose to bike to work and not look like they're driving a Subaru.

Thoughts, observations, comments?

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

*************

Official Announcement from the Portland Bureau of Transportation:

Thursday, April 15th: Understanding Barriers to Bicycling

Have you noticed who rides bicycles in your community? Have you noticed who doesn’t?

In early 2009 the Community Cycling Center recognized that, despite the cost savings and health benefits of bicycling, many people cannot or do not choose bicycles to get around — particularly among communities of color.

Alison Graves, Executive Director of the Community Cycling Center, will share what has been learned during the Understanding Barriers to Bicycling project and what can be done to reduce roadblocks to bicycle use.

Thursday,April 15th – Noon to 1 pm
Portland Building
1120 SW 5th Avenue, 2d floor Room C
(bring your lunch!)

Report: St. Stephens' Blessing of The Bikes

2010-04-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

A handful of us were at the Blessing of the Bicycles and dedication of Tracey Sparling's ghost bike at the Episcopal Church this afternoon .

It was a short service, led by Deacon Ken Arnold, with a memorial to bicyclists, monologue on how bicyclists are vulnerable, and a few other things. Deacon Amos participated in the reading of the service. Portland Mayor Sam Adams was also there and spoke a few words, including how Tracey's death had motivated the city to install green bike boxes at its most dangerous intersections for bicyclists and right-turning cars. An official from PNCA where Tracey was a student also spoke, noting that PNCA was building a covered bike parking facility in memory of Tracey. Deacon Amos spoke on behalf of the Bike Temple, noting that it is cowardly to choose to not act on your beliefs and do what you can to effect positive change in your world. (note -- I didn't take good notes, hopefully Amos or others can elaborate or correct my thin summaries -- Pasture Ted)

Tracey's family was present, and about 40 other people.

Then bikes were blessed, and the formal service ended, but folks stuck around for tea and cookies.

Over tea and cookies, Deacon Ken asked as to the welfare of the Bike Temple, we told him we were no longer in our original church basement, but were looking for another basement for healing services during the week and access to the sanctuary once a month. He brightened up and took us down to their basement to see if it would meet our needs. It's big, it's empty, it's dark and dank (see photo). It would be great for a bike shop, but in our brief tour we were unable to find outdoor access. It may work out, it may not, but it's good to see that there are empty church basements in Portland and that at least one congregation would welcome the temple.

It was an appropriate service in many ways, remembering a person who was killed because she braved riding a bike even in a city full of cement trucks, and an affermation of those who continue to ride, and a discussion of what is being done to equalize transportation for bicyclists -- to create a city where people are not penalized with increased danger for their choice to ride a bike. Surely it shold be replicated in many ways for all the other people who are killed on bikes in Portland. And elsewhere. Tracey is only one of many. Fathers, children, friends, sisters get killed on a regular basis in Portland. If St. Stephens' services are replicated elsewhere, among the local congregations of all bicycle believers who die for their belief and lifestyle, it will create a positive result by raising awareness among drivers and supporting social change to improve bicycling conditions.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

More information about St. Steven's Parish and the Madonna del Ghisallo Shrine
http://www.stst.org/
http://www.stst.org/bike.htm

More information about Tracey Sparling from BikePortland
http://bikeportland.org/2007/10/12/bicyclist-in-fatal-crash-identified/

More photos of the service from BikePortland
http://bikeportland.org/2010/04/13/bike-blessing-and-memorial-dedication-photos-and-report/

New home for the Bike Temple? If there's outside access, it's a possibility

Join the Bike Temple at Today's Ghost Bike Shrine Dedication and Blessing of the Bikes

2010-04-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

The Bike Temple will be in attendance, and possibly participating in today's Ghost Bike dedication to the bike shrine at St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish. Here are the details, we hope to see you all there.

Photo: Tony Cameron via Portland Mercury

Memorial for Cyclist Killed in October 2007 to Be Installed in Portland Bicycle Shrine

EVENT: Dedication of Tracey Sparling’s Ghost Bike and Spring Bicycle Blessing

WHEN: Tuesday, April 13, 5:30 pm

WHERE: Portland Bicycle Shrine, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1432 SW 13^th Ave (at Clay).

BACKGROUND:

A memorial plaque for Portland cyclist Tracey Sparling will be installed in the Portland Bicycle Shrine at St. Stephens' Episcopal Parish, Tuesday, April 13, 2010. Donated by her parents, Lee and Sophie Sparling, the plaque remembers the nineteen-year-old Pacific Northwest College of Art student who was struck and killed by a cement truck at Burnside and 14th Avenue on October 11, 2007. Sparling's death resulted in the creation of green safety zones for cyclists making right-hand turns at certain Portland intersections.

Earlier this year, the family also donated to the Portland Bicycle Shrine the ghost bike that had been placed on the corner of Burnside and 14th following her death. Decorated with colorful artificial flowers, the bike was removed from the corner in October of 2009.

At the service of dedication of the memorial plaque, clergy of St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish, the Revs. Dennis Parker and Kenneth Arnold, will bless bicycles with chain oil, as they did in the Fall for the opening the of the bicycle shrine. The shrine is named after the patron of cyclists, the Madonna del Ghisallo. The Portland Bicycle Shrine is believed to be the first US shrine dedicated to cyclists.

Father Dennis Parker, priest in charge of the Episcopal parish, noted "The shrine celebrates the joy of bike riding but also remembers those who have died and is a place of prayer for the safety of Portland's bicycle community and everyone on our streets and roads. In the near future we hope to install memorial plaques for others who have been killed on the streets. Everyone is invited to bring their bikes on April 13 for a blessing and to join in remembering this remarkable young woman whose promising life was cut short so tragically."

The event will begin at 5:30 in the St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish church, which is located at the corner of Clay and 13th Avenue. A sign with a newly created logo will also be installed during the evening's service.

Call the parish for more details: 503-223-6424.

Meeting of the Clergy

2010-04-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

We had the first meeting in a couple weeks last night, minutes as follows:

Attending: (in order of appearance): Grand Master Morgan, Deacon Amos, Pasture Ted, Josh, Lauren, Kernal Loose Nut, Gypsy. Called to order at about 7:40PM, Pasture Ranch.

Item 1: Trip to Vancouver BC Mormon Temple tour:

We're on for April 23 - 26. Pasture Ted will find lodging, will notify folks in Vancouver BC to get some of them on the Temple Trip. Lauren will contact BC:Clettes for lodging and publicity. Amos will send info to Bike Portland. Ted and Amos only confirmed attendees thus far.

Item 2: Community Outreach, Grand Master Morgan:

Morgan noted that there are good opportunities for the Temple to be more involved in the community. Like Bike Portland posted a link to a guy who was the victim of a hit and run, and how he needed a new bike. Morgan posted that he'd be happy to give a donated bike a tuneup at the temple.

We discussed the "Tracy Sparling Ghost Bike" dedication at the Episcopal? church bike shrine on Tuesday, Halley the Harpist may have a connection to see if we'd could participate, like move the ghost bike from 13th and Burnside to the church on one of Rabbi Aarons SuperSchlepper trailers. Halley will get back to us.

Item 3: Upcoming stuff:

Deacon Amos noted that since we were nominated for an Alice Award (yay!) we should make sure we do some cool stuff between now and June 5.

Ted will to a Joy of Monogamous Sects ride for April
Morgan may do a Mono Sects ride to the Food Church in May
We'll think about making something to donate to the Alice Award Auction.
Joy of Sects coming up again on June 15 or so.
Maybe a "Joy of Missionary Sects" ride?

Item 4: Pedalpalooza

Deacon Amos reported that Jeff has run a $10 helmet operation at Multnomah County Bike Fair for the last could years, and he's ready to move on. He can hand us the operation. We figured this would be a good idea. It was noted that we had lots of ideas of Exorcisms and stuff last year but what with shrine moving it didn't happen. Helmets would give us a good excfuse to have a booth, get a good name for ourselves, do some community outreach. Amos will call Jeff and see about taking voer the operation.

Item 5: Temple Shop

All the temple shop stuff is now in Pasture Ted's basement. We could try to help out at Bike Farm or find a new church, but it makes sense to open up a shop here for the time being. Amos suggested we talk to the PORT people 2 doors down on Tillamook who are running a farm to see if we can set up an outdoor operation at their farm, in a big tent or something.

Pasture Ted said he'd write up a contract, with the basic elements of

$50 monthly rent
Access one week night, one weekend day
Access to bathroom and all that stuff, keep things clean, sweep the floor, take out the trash
Clergy can stop by during the day anytime to drop stuff off, pick stuff up, but shop is only accessible 2 days a week

Work Party, next Sunday, April 18, 2pm - 6pm.

Item 6: Tracts

We're overdue for a new tract. We'll start by reprinting Tract 1.0 with the 2010 Joy of Sects ride information on it. Ted and Amos will have a tractmaking party on Wed April 17. Sit at a computer, type stuff up.

2 new tract ideas --

"You almost killed a bicyclist" -- teaches drivers how to not right-hook bicyclists. Introduces them to Oregon's unusual "make right turn from the left of the bike lane" law and what they need to watch out for when driving.

"How to convert your friends" -- step by step instruction on how to teach your friends to ride a bike. A list of all the things you need to tell them, you need to provide for them, and how to take them out on a fabulous first ride that will create a great foundation for further investigations into the Bicycle Faith.

Item 7: Future directions for The Temple

It's been a year since our first meetings, we'll take a look at our plans from a year ago and see how we've done, see where we want to go next.
It will be the main agenda item at our next meeting, Sunday May 2, 6pm.

Kernal Loose Nut needs assistance over the next month

2010-04-08T01:44:00.001-07:00

Kernal Loose Nut, AKA Moses, is recovering from knee surgury, and needs some help over the next couple weeks.

Said knee was injured on the World Naked Bike ride last summer, when he was attempting the "Triple Crown" tour -- riding in all 3 naked bike rides that day, a full naked metric century of 100km.

Unfortunately, halfway through Ride 2, the Leif Erikson Trail ride, his magic chopper had a little trouble on the off-road conditions, and a torn ACL was the result. Since then he's been hobbling a bit until his medical coverage finally came through and repaired it.

He and I met by chance on Rodney St today (Street of Dreams for old wooden churches) and he's doing pretty well, scooting around the neighborhood on one leg on his zoombomb Barbie bike.

In the meantime, The Kernal needs rides, sofas, $, snacks, visitors, etc. Join the service movement "Friends of Mo" on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/KernelLooseNut?ref=search&sid=699765984.1140116185..1#!/group.php?gid=110118735684649 or email info@biketemple.org with anything you can help with.

Two photos from that glorious and fateful day --

Riding in the Mississippi Street Parade, photo from http://www.bikeportland.org Many more photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeportland/3628662929/

Photo of The Kernal patching his front tire at Salmon St. Fountain toward the end of Ride #1.

Cheers to The Kernal, hope your recovery will be short and complete!

Pasture

Trip to Vancouver BC to tour a Mormon Temple?

2010-04-06T01:55:00.001-07:00

Bicyclism isn't the only faith to have Temples for worship. Portland has a smattering of various temples. One of the larger ones is the Mormon Temple in Lake Oswego.

Mormons are a secretive bunch about what they do in their temples. And the public is only invited in a short window of time between construction and when the temple opens for business. The Portland, OR Mormon temple was open for tours in the summer of 1989. Miss it? Now you have your chance to see another one.

The Mormon church has just completed its Vancouver BC temple, and it is open to the public from April 9th - 24th. At the Bike Temple's "Last Supper" gathering, some folks expressed interest in taking the tour. It's kinda late notice to put a trip together, but it would be a lot of fun.

Temple tours are usually not terribly informative about what happens during the services. You arrive at the temple, and there's lots of nice neighbourly Mormon volunteers to shoosh you into your parking space, smile at you and ask you to take off your shoes, then lead you through the building. There's no questions until the end, and then they'll dodge most questions of actual interest, and smile as you go back outside.

Fortunately, as part of the Bike Temple contingent, you'll have a former Mormon(tht's me, Pasture Ted) along to happily answer any questions that anyone has, and talk extensively about all the different things that happen in the temple. We can go out for beers, sit in a park, or any forum that folks like, and wander though the ideosyncratic, secretive, but fascinating world of Mormonism.

And maybe as a follow-up we can do a ride to the Portland temple in Lake Oswego, and after an exterior inspection retreat to another location and do another discussion on Mormonism.

So, anyone interested? Tight timing, but potentially a lot of fun.

2 possible travel options:

Plan A: Go By Train

* Amtrak departs Portland at 2:50pm daily, through train to Vancouver BC, arriving at 10:50pm. Return train leaves Vancouver at about 6:40am, arrives Portland at 2:55pm. Cost, if booked in advance, is $50, + $5 per bike, each way. Unfortunately, it looks like the train is more popular than I'd heard, and with 2 weeks advance purchase it will be $60 to go north and $88 to come back on a Sunday.

* We can leave Portland on a Thursday at 2:30, return on Sunday at 2:30, have 2 full days and 3 nights in Vancouver BC.

* I have friends that can put up at least 5 people, some in beds. An easy 3 mile ride from the train station.

* It's a 15 mile light ride, then a 10 mile bike ride to get from downtown Vancouver to the temple.

Plan B -- Go By Carpool

* It's a 6 hour drive from Portland to Vancouver, with 1-2 hours of possible delays.

* We could set our own schedule -- leave on Friday at 6pm, arrive Vancouver at midnight. Depart Sunday at 6pm, arrive Portland at midnight. 1.5 full days without missing work. Or miss just Friday and have 2.5 fill days.

* We could visit the temple on Saturday, and still have half of Saturday and half of Sunday to bicycle around Vancouver.

Interested?

Yes, no, maybe? Drive or Train?

Which weekend -- April 16-18? 23-25? (I'm free to lead the trip either weekend)

post here, email us, or post on the Facebook page.

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

*******************

More info:

* Vancouver Sun story on touring the Mormon temple
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Metro+residents+rare+glimpse+Mormon+inner+sanctum/2516309/story.html

* Vancouver BC Mormon Temple
http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/vancouver/

* Mormon temples on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_temple

* Vancouver BC temple on google maps
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=49.167339,-122.739258&spn=0,359.73856&t=h&z=13&layer=c&cbll=49.15178,-122.65694&panoid=osT0KCxCEMzwZRiFldejoQ&cbp=12,225.23,,0,-2.5

A bit more on Mormon Temples:

Mormons are a Christian faith, with a few unique "Made in America" twists on their beliefs and ordinances. Founded in 1830 near Roshester, NY, they worked their way west via Cleveland, OH, Kansas City MO, an isolated city in western IL, then to what is now Salt Lake City, UT. Along the way they built "temples."

The first temple had a large sanctuary with a few offices, but by 1930 temple form had changed from large sanctuaries to having small meeting rooms and "ordinance rooms" and no sanctuary at all. Regular meetings in sanctuaries were phased out in the 1950s, and now temples are only attended for individual worship, no group worship.

There's a couple different things that happen inside:

* "Endowment Ceremonies" -- Mormons believe that to get to the highest level of heaven you need to go through an "endowment" ceremony. What you're endowed with isn't real clear, but it's a 2-hour interactive film presentation where you are taken through the first couple books of Genesis, and stand up at periodic intervals to pledge to keep different lifestyle and belief requirements.

* Weddings -- Mormons believe that families are "eternal" -- that you'll all be together after you're dead, but only if you are married in the temple (or later have your marriage "sealed" in the temple). So it's a big deal for the bride and groom to be good Mormons and live up to all the belief and lifestyle codes, then you and any of your fellow good Mormon friends and family all go to the temple where you go through a short service (20 mins) and are free to go on your way as man and wife. It's pretty straightforward, except for the delicate issue of gracefully excluding family members and any other nonbelievers from this important life event.

* "Proxy Ordinances for the Deceased" -- Mormon's believe that their church is the only valid restoration of the church that Jesus established on the earth 2000 years ago. In response to the obvious question of justice -- "why would God keep anyone who lived between 200 AD and 1830 AD the pleasures of the highest level of heaven?" Mormons perform rituals for folks that have died, essentially having a living Mormon represent tham in a proxy in essential Mormon rituals, baptising them into Mormonism (which they as deceased spirits are free to accept or decline), and performing an "endownment ceremony" for them. This is a bit more controversial, since until about 2000 the policy was to baptise anyone that had ever died. Now the stated policy is only direct relatives, but the church still finds itself in hot water whenever it comes out that the don't have any vetting system to keep folks from turning people like Barak Obama's mother or Hillary Clinton's father into posthumous Mormons.

Mormons now have over 100 temples around the world, and have built about 5 per year through the 2000s.

Entrance is limited to practicing Mormons who are stringent in meeting a wide range of lifetyle and belief requirements. They need to assert their belief that the current Mormon prophet is God's one and only spokesperson, that they will live lives of sexual purity (no relations with anyone but spouse), and, pay 10% of their income to the Mormon church. If you are unable to meet any of these and other requirements, you are barred from entry for any purpose, including the weddings of family members.

Mormons consider the temple experience to be the epitome of the spiritual experience. If they have important life decisions, have a need for closeness to God, or serve the deceased by receiving ordinances by proxy, they go to the temple.

Questions, comments?

Upcoming Bicycle Holy Day: Bunny on a Bike Ride

2010-03-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Of the many Bicycle Holy Days of Portland OR, the "Bunny on a Bike" ride is one of the more unusual. Every Easter since 2004, upwards of 100 Portlanders don Easter outfits and go for a Sunday Bike Ride. It's a very much a family-friendly event, and a super way to spend quality time with your friends or meet new people.

This year's theme is "Alice in Wonderland." The ride starts at Columbia Park in North Portland. It's an easy ride from downtown by going up Williams or Rodney to Ainsworth, then over to North Portland. Or take the Expo MAX to the Argyle stop.

If you're feeling ambitious or crafty, you can don bunny ears, wear plush outfits, and decorat your bikes with pastel trinkets. Or just find some springy clothes and come as you are.

Bunny and egg themes have been around since the 1600s, and bunnys are a symbol of fertility, and a celebration of the the transition from winter to spring. The holiday has been named "Easter" since 899 and predates the co-opting of the pagan holiday by Christianity.

In the Christian tradition, Easter is when Jesus (the founder of Christianity) was executed, thereby atoning for the sins of all humanity, then miraculously came back to life.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

More info:
* Ride anouncements

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Event?oid=2361415

http://www.shift2bikes.org/cal/#04-1229

* photos from past rides

http://www.redbatpress.com/bunnyonabikeride.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlecrumb/sets/72157616679424544/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm4EmFIWuTs

Excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter

The modern English term Easter is speculated to have developed from Old English word Ēastre or Ēostre or Eoaster, which itself developed prior to 899. The name refers to Eostur-monath, a month of the Germanic calendar attested by Bede as named after the goddess Ēostre of Anglo-Saxon paganism.[15] Bede notes that Eostur-monath was the equivalent to the month of April, and that feasts held in her honor during Ēostur-monath had died out by the time of his writing, replaced with the Christian custom of Easter.[16] Using comparative linguistic evidence from continental Germanic sources, the 19th century scholar Jacob Grimm proposed the existence of an equivalent form of Eostre among the pre-Christian beliefs of the continental Germanic peoples, whose name he reconstructed as Ostara.

The implications of the goddess have resulted in scholarly theories about whether or not Eostre is an invention of Bede, theories connecting Eostre with records of Germanic folk custom (including hares and eggs), and as descendant of the Proto-Indo-European goddess of the dawn through the etymology of her name. Grimm's reconstructed Ostara has had some influence in modern popular culture. Modern German has Ostern, but otherwise, Germanic languages have generally borrowed the form pascha, see below

Bike Temple Moves Saturday, come help!

2010-03-26T18:43:00.001-07:00

Clergy, Believers, Sympathists, etc.

The Bike Temple is moving out of its current shop tomorrow afternoon. Come help if you can!

We'll meet at noon, NE 9th and Going. Pack up for an hour or two (there's not that much stuff) then move it down to Tillamook and Williams for our next temporary home.

Bring trailers and cargo bikes for a bike move, we'll have a car standing by if not enough trailers materialize. The big job is packing.

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

Bicycle Evangelism

2010-03-25T02:01:00.000-07:00

I was pondering the wonderful increase of Bicycle Believers in Portland, and was struck by the thought that the conversion of an infidel into a bicyclist generally requires reaching out by the converted. It takes an active effort, either on the part of noncyclist to find One Who Believes and ask for help, or on the Believer to invite the noncyclist to consider joining the fold.

Why does this event need to occur?

Because

1) Operation of a bicycle requires a broad spectrum of knowledge, and

2) A bad "first experience" will usually prevent conversion, and, therefore,

3) Evangelical outreach is essential to ensure a successful conversion, so

4) Bicycle evangelism is essential to converting large numbers of new bicyclists.

Let's look a little more into this.

1) Operating a bike on city streets, is, naturally an enlightening experience. Sailing through parks and over rivers is like flying. Pounding up a hill creates a burning of the bosom. Each stroke of the pedal brings a person closer to enlightenment.

But it doesn't just come naturally. To have this experience, you need to know a lot of stuff. You need to be able to ride a bike, know which gears to use, how to brake in rain and on hills. You need to know the best routes across town, which streets to avoid, and which of the lines on the map will lead you through an enchanted park or a past magnificent vistas. You need to know what to wear in rain, sun, and darkness. Your bike needs to be adjusted for you -- if your seat is too high you'll be uncomfortable, if it's too low you'll be slogging along in an inefficient manner.

It's not second nature.

2) The First Experience

The average adult doesn't ride a bike much. Maybe once in a while as a tourist, visiting friends, or in a short stint as exercise. Riding a bike in a city in less-than-parklike conditions is something completely foreign.

If a person hasn't assimilated all that complex information in part a), a person will get on their bike, and huff and puff across town, get lost, almost get runover, and come nowhere near achieving nirvana. And they'll come to know that they're out of shape, bicycling is hard, and all those folks that do it ever day are absolutely crazy.

Conversion failure.

Think of all the ways a person could have a bad first experience.

For instance, my mother is pushing 70, recently her husband get the grandkids on bikes, and my mom trid getting on a bike with the seat too tall, and fell a couple times, dinging her hip. She hasn't tried riding since. And that's just the problem of getting on a bike and moving forward.

3) Evengelical outreach.

To ensure a high likelihood of an "interested by concerned" individual to a "believer and practitioner" it's almost essential to have some one-on-one time with a Believer.

By pairing believers with interested souls, it's easy to solve problems 1) and 2). The believer can help the lost soul along, helping them get a bike that's reasonably well fitted and well tuned. They believer can tell them how to start riding -- try it on Sundays, go short distances. Not things that people naturally think of on their own. And for the first ride, they can go together, side by side, and the new bicyclist can focus on keeping the bike going straight ahead, not worrying about getting lost, getting run over, etc.

Some transportation planners theorize that the recent jump in bicyclist numbers in Portland is because numbers have hit "critical mass." That there's now a bicyclist in every social circle, every office, every church congregation. So interested heathens know who to seek out for information.

Bicycling is a sacred and holy activity, but it can't be learned with books or in a room. It needs to be learned outdoors, on the streets and paths, with the wind whistling in your ears. And it's best learned with someone who is already converted and can show you the way.

4) Evangelicism is needed to increase the flock

Suppose, say, we had a goal of getting 25% of Portlanders to be regular bicyclists. It's totally achievable, there's plenty of folks who are perfectly capeable of bicycling for errands, exercise or work commutes that aren't doing it now. The infrastructure is there, the roads are reasonably safe, and there's bike shops that can sell bikes and gear to meet absolutely anyone's needs.

Why haven't 25%+ already converted, then?

It takes a fair bit of effort to get the gear, and if you have a bad first experience, the conversion effort will fail. And, more importantly, the person has to have a reason to try it out.

All this can easily be overcome if there was a more established tradition of Bicycle Believers reaching out to their friends and colleagues. If everyone had one or two spare bikes and sets of gear, and regularly invited their friends on a bike ride, to shop, eat, or just for fun, then all the potential believers would be regularly exposed to everything they need to automatically convert. They'd have the right stuff, and they'd have a good first experience. And after riding for a couple weeks, they'd be motivated to spend a couple hundred $ to outfit themselves, and then bye bye car, hello bicycle! Their car will languish in the garage, their kids will get toted on Burleys or Bakfeits, savings will pile up in their pockets like autumn leaves, and the world will have a new Bicycle Believer.

Not convinced? Try it. See if it works!

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

Bike Temple Potluck this Saturday–Spring Solstice Ritual

2010-03-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

The Bike Temple has had a great six months in the basement of the

Lotus Seed Church at NE 9th and Going. Unfortunately, it's time to
move on, since the Lotus Seed didn't get its lease renewed.

We're having a celebration of All Things Bicycle potluck, this
Saturday (March 20th), 5-7pm. Come for good food, good times, and to
talk about possible futures for the temple. Enjoy one last time the
fabulous architecture and ambiance, and celebrate spring and solstice
and all that.We'll cook up some beans and rice, the rest if potluck. And we'll

have some sort of a Equinox ritual with you and your bicycles in the
sanctuary.

Event begins at 5, ends promptly at 7 (another user has it booked from
8pm on). We may do some sort of a equinox ride at 7, stay tuned.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Deacon Amos Gets a Letter From His Father

2010-03-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

"Yes the big wheels keep on turning. Odd that cycling would need spokes people but I'm glad that it's good seat within your frame of reference. May the great Sprocket light your bicycle path. And may you never tire of the chain of events that keeps your gears adjusted to the hills of life. And don't forget to wrench yourself a brake from time to time. Love, Dad."

An update on the affairs of the temple

2010-03-09T14:59:00.000-08:00

We received some sad news this week that the Lotus Seed would not be renewing their lease at the retired Highland church building where the Bike Temple shop is located. This is not only an inconvenience for the lotus seed, its programs, and its tenants, but also for your fellow bicycle believers, as we will need to vacate our current shop space by the end of this month.

What does this mean for the Bike Temple shop? It will most likely be slightly down-sized or re-configured, at least temporarily, and definitely relocated very soon. We are currently looking for a new space to host us, if you have any ideas please let us know. We will be sure to keep you updated on moving plans once they have been decided on.

What this does not mean is that the Bike Temple itself is any less active or has changed its philosophy or practice. The shop has always been only part of what we do, and we will continue to help meet all of your spiritual and cyclical needs, no matter where that takes place.

Thank you all for all of your continued support and interest. We are very excited about what is to come!

Many religions say to watch for signs from a higher power...

2010-03-04T16:00:00.001-08:00

So what is this supposed to mean?

Join us for another Joy of Monogamous Sects!

2010-02-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Bike Temple is pleased to announce another edition if its popular Joy of Monogamous Sects rides, each JOMS ride features a bicycle ride to visit a new and different house of worship in Portland, followed by discussion and review at a nearby watering hole.

This is a respectful visit to an established place of religion, in most cases this will be the first visit for everyone in the group.

This month's ride: Realizing the Humanist Ideal
A visit to a meeting of the Portland Secular Humanists. More info about this group can be found here.

February 21st 9:15am
Random Order, NE 18th and Alberta.

We will then ride to the Friendly House at 26th and Thurman, the festivities start at 10:00.

Those festivities being: "Realizing the Humanist Ideal" From the description on the calendar:

Realizing the Humanist Ideal presented by Steve Jacobs Like all philosophies and religions, Humanism exists to solve human problems. The Humanist manifestos define the philosophy in terms of a worldview, the values derived from that worldview, and a method “established for realizing a satisfactory life”. The method (the focus of this presentation) is embodied in the set of processes Humanists use to define their worldview, establish their positions, and evolve their philosophy. How well Humanists and Humanist organizations embrace and hone these processes will determine the degree to which they can realize their ideals.

Then perhaps on to New Old Lompoc at 23rd and Raleigh?

Any route advice between the Broadway Bridge and 26th/Thurman? I can navigate on my own, but I'd prefer to have a clue if I might be leading a group!

Bike Temple Shrine on the move

2010-02-08T00:07:00.000-08:00

The Bike Temple Shrine got moved over the Rejuiced Trailers shop today for some welding work. See the video on Youtube on the RejuicedBikes channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSdJ7qByCms

Last spring we built a mobile shrine, we intended to cover it with flower leis, incense, pictures of fallen bicyclists, saints, and misc. shiny sacred stuff, but we never quite got around to decorating it. Then some of the welds gave out when riding it to Multnomah County Bike Fair, and it's been parked awaiting renovations ever since.

Today Johnnie from Rejuiced Bike Concepts, Amos, and The Kernal took it out on the road to again, and, as always, it handled well.

Do you have stuff to put on a Bike Shrine? Start gathering, and you can hang it on the Temple Shrine, or save up for our Home Shrine Construction workshop.

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

"There's a Pedal-Powered Goddess in the Sky"

2010-02-06T18:26:00.001-08:00

Lee Henderson, the "Fossilosopher," is in the Holy Bike City of Portland OR for a couple weeks, he's visiting his son while his own city descends into a month of martial law for the winter Olympics.

I met Lee in the late 1990s in Vancouver BC, he was part of All Things Bicycle there, from the co-op bike shop Our Community Bikes to the bicycle advocacy group B.E.S.T. to the homespun "Dinosaurs Against Fossil Fuels" bicycle activist dance troupe. A lesser known credit is that Lee was one of the movers behind :"Bikesummer 2001" in Vancouver, which inspired "Bikesummer 2002" here in Portland and the creation of "Shift2Bikes."

Lee is an inspirational character, an organizer, and an ardent believer in bicycles. The results of Lee's efforts helped motivate me and my peeps out at UBC to start the UBC Bike Co-op and Bike Kitchen, and probably motivated a lot of other people, too.

Singing is one of Lee's many pastimes, and he had composed a series of lyrics to popular songs based on bicycle worship, which contributed to the formulation of my own beliefs about bicycles, religion, and the possibility of organized bicycle religion.

So I was delighted, Wednesday, when who should pop into the temple but Lee himself. We chatted, he caught me up on news from Vancouver, and he performed for us in the shop, singing "There's a Pedal-Powered Goddess in the Sky" for Josh Gould and myself.

Video on facebook: --- http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=329694280984&ref=mf ---

So, cheers to Lee, welcome to your home-away-from-home in P-town, and may you and your fellow believers enjoy blessings from the Pedal Powered Godess in the Sky!

Yours in The Faith
Pasture Ted

Go Dinos!

Portland's "2030 Bike Plan" needs to know if you believe!

2010-02-03T17:22:00.001-08:00

Twenty years ago there weren't nearly as many people Active in the Bicycle Faith in Portland. There may have been many believers, and fewer of them riding, or maybe there have been a lot of converts since then.

A big factor in the massive revival of bicycling here, as a pastime, as transportation, as a conviction, has been the steady improvement in bicycle routes. In 1990 you had to be a real die-hard, fearless bicyclist to use a bike for transportation. Now, it's still a bit of work, but it's much safer, much more commonplace. When it's illegal, impossible or suicidal to ride a bike, even the most ardent believers will rarely mount their steeds to go anywhere.

Why?

The 1996 Bike Plan called for massive improvements in bikeways, across the city. In particular, widening the sidewalks on the Willamette River bridges and building the East Bank Esplanade. And building "Bike Boulevards" all around the city. Most sensible Portlanders would have said it would be pretty much impossible to go from 1% of people commuting by bike to the 8% we have today. But they were wrong.

Because, the city built bikeways, and the bicyclists materialized.

Now, the 2030 Bike Plan has the same level of ambition. 25% of all trips by bicycle in the year 2030.

The 2030 Bike Plan is the Bible of how it can be done. Or Textbook. Or instruction manual. 400 miles of new bikeways, several new "superbikeways (like the Springwater Trail), and lots of improvements across the board.

Want to see it happen? We, as individuals and groups, need to tell the City to "Build It."

2 ways to show support:

1) Come to the rally tomorrow, City Hall, 1:30 - 2:00. And pack the council chambers with supporters for the first half your.

2) Email or voicemail your city councilors -- today, or in the next week or two, while it's still on their minds. Be passionate, be articulate, or just call/write and express your opinion. And tell them to "Build It!"

Sam Adams: samadams@ci.portland.or.us 503-823-4120
Amanda Fritz amanda@ci.portland.or.us 503-823-3008
Randy Leonard rleonard@ci.portland.or.us 503-823-4682
Nick Fish nick@ci.portland.or.us 503-823-3589
Dan Saltzman dan@ci.portland.or.us 503-823-4151

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/02/bicycle_master_plan_peddling_a.html

http://www.facebook.com/BuildIt2030

Healing Services at The Temple tonight

2010-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

Come bless your bike, heal your bike. 6:00 - 8:30.

You can also worship or marry your, but the focus is healing. Rubbing brakes, squeaky chain, loose headset? Come on in. NE 9th and Going, downstairs.

Pasture Ted officiating, with a possible guest appearance by the Fossilopher -- Lee Henderson himself. If we're lucky, he'll sing us a few Bicycle Hymns. Like "A Mighty Fortress Is My car.

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

Should Bikes Save the Planet?–A Panel Discussion for Grown-ups.

2010-02-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Bike Temple is pleased to announce a one-of-a-kind event this month, happening in our very own sacred space. Those of you familiar with the famous Rev. Phil may also know that he is the curator and organizer of a most esteemed bicycle pornography film festival which screens and tours every year. This event will bring together films from his famous festival, as well as panel discussion, performance, and creative activities, as part of this year's mini-bike winter celebration.

It goes without saying that an event like this is right for some audiences, and may not be right for others. Because the Bike Temple believes that all efforts to further bicycle awareness and creativity should be applauded and promoted, we encourage any interested followers to attend this event with eyes and minds wide open.

Visit the (NSFW) bike porn website for complete details.

Mini Bike Winter Kickoff Gala
Thursday, February 11th
Lotus Seed
NE 9th and Going

8:30pm
Panel Discussion: "SHOULD Bikes Save the Planet",

10pm
Bike Porn 3: Cycle Bound - possibly the last Portland screening
World Premiere, "MBW09 in 10 Min" by Jon Huey
US Premiere, "Velo Love" a documentary of the Velo Vixens by Lauren Warbeck

All night
DIY stencil station. BYO threads and invent your own brands.

Hooray for Bike Temple

2010-02-01T00:09:00.000-08:00

One of the finer moments of the Bike Temple Thanksgiving Potluck was giving Jethro rides around on the coatrack. This went on for about an hour...

Parishoner Emily captured the moment on phone-video -- it may be a bit grainy, but you can see that good times were had by all.

Next Temple Social tenatively scheduled for next Sunday (Feb 7th), 6pm, at the Lotus Seed.

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

A few thoughts for the MLK Holiday

2010-01-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

Dr. Martin Luther King, jr was a sterling individual who achieved the impossible -- organizing to end 100 years of post-Civil Was discrimination against blacks. Now, just 40 years later, we have a black president, and nobody even remembers that blacks once had separate restrooms, bus seating, and water fountains. Without leaders like MLK, and people willing to rally, and sympathetic people within the establishment, we may well still have openly institutionalized discrimination against blacks. (Obviously there's still a ways to go, and probably some backsliding since the early days, but it certainly seems like we've come a long way.)

And, the man was a religious leader. He plainly bridged the gap between religion and political action in a positive, successful way. And (I assume) used religion to help organize the masses.

(click on photos for full-resolution)

Now, fast forward to MLK Day, 2010, Portland, Oregon.

Bikes aren't given the same "rights" as cars. Bicyclists are discriminated against for their mode choice. They're given longer, hillier routes with more time spent at stop signs and red lights. Or, if they want the faster routes, they compromise their physical safety and well-being.

Take Martin Luther King, jr Boulevard, for instance. It's a thoroughfare. It's not good for bikes. A couple blocks away are the Vancouver/Williams bike lanes, but they're pretty skinny, and even those streets have traffic lights timed perfectly for cars at 25mph, so bicyclists will need to wait at every third light, while cars breeze right through.

And it's not trivial. Some sections of MLK Blvd have no decent alternatives for bikes --

* Holladay/Oregon - Burnside

* Lombard - Marine Dr

* Hawthorne -Powell

I ride the first two on a fairly regular basis, and it's a real disincentive to bicycling, in my opinion. It's an unfortunate irony that the street named after the good doctor himself is so terrible for walking and bicycling.

Lets hope that in 10, 20 or 40 years, we'll be able to ride on MLK Blvd, from end to end, with the same expectation of safety and expediency as motorized traffic. With a little luck and a lot of effort, in 40 years things will be so good that we'll forget how bad it ever was.

But, remember, this, like racial discrimination, won't end automatically. It requires inspired leaders, faithful followers, ideas, and often civic action, insisting that our elected officials deliver on our expectations. You can start today by writing to your five Portland City Councillors and ask that they approve and fund the 2030 Bike Plan. See contact info posted by one of Portland's early Bicycle Rights leaders at http://www.portlandbikenetwork.org/2010/01/25/letter-from-mia-birk/

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

In the meantime, maybe we should do an MLK ride next year -- where we start at MLK and Tillamook and ride all the way up to Marine Dr., then ride south all the way to the end near the Ross Island Bridge. It would be educational, to see just how far we have to go. And each year, we could see whether we've gained anything.

Mobile Religious Equipment -- what to do with a Pedicab?

2010-01-27T17:40:00.001-08:00

I have a reed organ that I've wanted to put on some Mobile Religious Equipment, so we could make some great churchy music on bike rides. I've been mulling a trailer, but last night I was at the Portland Pedicab shops at a signmaking party. I noted that all pedicabs were parked for the winter, and it occured to me we might borrow one for an organmobile.

(Photo from TPapi's photostream on Flickr)

I asked Ryan (Mr. Pedicab) about it, he said, um, he'd be happy to *give* us one of his older pedicabs. There were some of an inferior design (Yap?) that he doesn't really like, and he needs to unload at least one of them. No bench, just a giant tricycle with a cargo bed in back, and a drivetrain in need of some love.

So, one pedicab potentially headed our way. It won't fit the organ (I don't think), but what else could we do?
* Mobile Preacher stand?
* Bike hauling vehicle?
* Musical performance vehicle?
* ???

Your in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Healing services tonight with minipotluck?

2010-01-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

Rabbi Aaron reports he's bring snacks to the Healing Services tonight at the temple. & I'm bringing incense!

Bring by your tired, cold squeaky bicycles for blessing and healing, tonight at The Bike Temple (NE 9th and Going). Pasture Ted and Aaron officiating. 6:00 - 8:30pm.

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

Report: Meeting of the Clergy

2010-01-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Meeting report -- Jan 25, 2010
Present: Deacon Amos (DA), Pasture Ted (PT), Grand Master Morgan (GMM), Kernal Loose Nut (KLN)
Absent: Halleylujah, Sister Erin, Josh, Johnnie :^(

* Bike Temple Shrine --
Bring it to GMM's house (pending housemate approval) then schedule a time in Johnnie's shop to work on it, he can teach us all to weld. We took a look at it, it's a little forlorn, but with fresh bike inner tubes, new welds, air in the tires, a little incense and flower leis, and maybe attaching the brake levers to the steering mechanism, we'd have a fine bit of Mobile Religious Equipment to bring to Fourth Friday Artwalk and other misc Portland Holy Days.

* January Social Event -- Feed The Sprockettes?
Pushed back to February 7th, Sunday. We learned that The Sprockettes use the Lotus Seed as a rehearsal space on Sundays from 3 - 7pm, so we figured we'd meet at 6pm and set up food on the stage, maybe bring tights 'n tutus to be cheerleaders, then have a "Feed The Sprockettes" social/potluck/service event that would convene at 7pm sharp.
This all pending on the Sprockettes being willing co-conspirators, of course. But we're optimistic.

* February Social Event: Home Shrine Workshop
We opted to have three "Home Shrine Construction" workshops over the course of the year. Having a bicycle shrine/altar in your home brings a sense of comfort and security, a personal sacred space for you to commune with diety or just put some cool stuff. You can add to it over the course of a lifetime, bringing home sacred artifacts from important times and places.

Since none of us have actually made a home altar before, we'll have three events over the course of the year:
- Winter event: a warm up event, where we bring all the materials we think we need, get people together, and see what we can put together. Welder, paint, artifacts, bike parts, stickers, bottlecaps, glueguns, and watch beauty and divinity unfold before our very eyes.
- Spring event: we'd build shrines sometime around Pedalpalooza, this would be a properly supported and planned-for event, and it might be a fundraiser, too (am I getting this right? --PT
- Fall Event: have a "fundraising shrine workshop" where we'll build shrines and other arty stuff for sale at BikeCraft as a Bike Temple fundraiser.

So, start collecting your sacred bits now, sketch some plans on napkins, and plan to come to the Bike Temple on Sat or Sun, Feb 27th/28th (pending Lotus Seed confirmation)

* Monogamous Sects Rides --
Discussed doing this on Sunday the 14th after the Bike Porn screening, possibly involving a venue where we could confess sins (Catholic church?). Decided that a Feb 14th ride would be in conflict with a number of peoples' personal schedules, so settled on Feb 21st, destination TBD, but possibly the Portland Secular Humanist meeting. The KLN expressed an interest in going to some of the American-based proselytising denominations, like Mormons, JWs, and maybe Seventh Day Adventists? PT noted that he'd be happy to lead a ride to the Mormons, but would probably be out of town on the 21st.

DA noted that he would like to build a database of church's degree of "bike friendliness" and that he started with the First Presbyterian. He had made a suggestion to their website person that they include the 18 bike parking spaces in the lavish underground parking structure to their website, but they haven't updated it yet.

For a March Monogamous Sects ride, planning on March 14th, possibly an Irish Catholic church.

* Feb 7th: CCC Scrounge --
GMM reports that 501(c)3 charitys can come and pick through the CCC's castoffs on Feb 7th -- DA and PT will meet with Wren to see if we can accept bike parts on behalf of the Lotus Seed.

* Jan 30th: New Tract and Folding Party --
DA will be putting together a new tract, we'll have a "Tracts and Pinball" social night at Billy Rays on Saturday Jan 30th. Meet upstairs at the big round library table, time TBD. We'll have the tracts printed up, but will slice them with the paper cutter, fold, and staple at Billy Rays. (Your choice of Medival Madness, The Soprannos, Monster Bash, Attack from Mars, and that .75 game...)

* Future Plans, Summer Dreams --
As usual, some good dreaming and musing about how the Bike Temple can expand to better fill the spiritual needs of a bicycling society. DA noted that there were probably a lot of bicyclists in Portland that believed in Jesus or other dieties, and would like some genuine conventional religion. PT noted that there were plenty of elderly congregations around, and DA noted that they'd probably salivate if we walked in the door and looked like we had a bunch of people ready to join. DA and KLN both brought wine, it was a beautiful night with a bit of a moon, ideas were flowing.

* Wrapping-Up --
"The bicycle is a Trifecta of God because you have Health, the Environment and Fun, it's the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Happy Healthy Home, the Rolling Trinity." -- Grand Master Morgan

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Bike Temple meeting tonight

2010-01-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

Join us at the Bike Temple for our kinda-bi-weekly meeting. Monday night, 7:30 - 9pm. Snacks and tea from 7-7:30.

On tonight's agenda --

* Usual stuff -- rent, finances, Wed Healing Service staffing, etc.

* February event -- "Home Shrine Workshop" -- build your own shrine or alter for personal use in your own home.

* Pizza party sometime at the Temple/Lotus Seed, &/or do we want to have routine monthly social gatherings?

* Shrine -- next steps, where to move?

* Filmed By Bike entry?

* Monogamous Sects ride -- last month's report, next month's plans -- John K wants to go to the Portland Secular Humanist meeting...

* Summer activities -- start dreaming about Joy of Sects rides, Pedalpalooza rides, sanctifying the streets on Sunday Parkways

Come and have a good little time at the temple tonight if you're interested in any of these items, or have your own ideas for stirring Bikes and Religion together. Next meeting probably on Feb 8th.

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

Promote, Perform, Proselytize–Filmed By Bike Call for Entries

2010-01-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

The Bike Temple is proud to be a represented at this year's Filmed By Bike Jury. This is a wonderful way to spread the gospel of bicycle to the community, and show everyone your mad skills behind the lens. Spread the word!

CALL FOR ENTRIES: FILMED BY BIKE
The 8th Annual Filmed by Bike is a film festival showcasing independent bike-themed movies from around the world. Entries are limited to eight minutes in length.

HOW TO ENTER:

* Movies must have a bike theme

* See website for details and an application

* It is free to submit a movie

* Deadline is February 15, 2010

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Since 2003, Filmed by Bike has brought a wildly creative array of bike-themed movies to the silver screen. The festival takes place every April in Portland, Oregon, USA, but entries come from around the world. The next festival is April 16-18, 2010 at the Clinton Street Theater. The festival features nine screenings and an opening night street party.

MORE INFO
* FilmedByBike.org
* Info@FilmedByBike.org

Healing services tonight at The Temple!

2010-01-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

The Kernal is headed up to open the doors of the Temple to hungry weary and cold bicycles.

Stop by tonight, or any Wednesday, from 6:00 to 8:30 and partake of the bounteous tools and space made available for you to minister to your own bike.

As a special bonus tonight, The Kernal will be playing religious-themed music of his own choosing from his personal Milwaukee-brand sound system!

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Hopes for a speedy recovery for Deacon Amos's mom

2010-01-17T19:38:00.000-08:00

Deacon Amos's mom was riding in Eugene today, and apparently fell and hit her head, and had some head trauma. She's now out of surgery, though, and hopefully on the road to recovery. So say a prayer, cross your fingers, ring your bike bell, send good vibes, etc. in hopes that she'll soon return to good health.

And be careful out there! Riding a bike is a beautiful thing, but only when you keep the rubber side down!

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

*********

Correction and update --

- she was riding a couple weeks ago, and just today developed a problem.

- she's recovering well as per the Deacon's facebook updates
My mom needed surgery like she needed a hole in her head.

and

She fell off her bike a couple weeks ago, didn't realize she had a concussion and was rushed to emergency surg. To drain build-up today. Everything went well and she is talking with us and letting me make stupid jokes like this.

Report: Joy of Sects on Christmas Eve

2010-01-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

This was the first Christmas in recent memory that I hadn't been tied up with visiting family, and I figured I'd make the most of it. Better yet, I had the Reverend Jason and Sister Yumi from the Davis Bike Church/Collective visiting, and they were stoked about hitting some Christmas Eve services.

A little internet research led us to choose the First Presbyterian Church's 9:00 pm "Candlelight Service" and St. Mary's Cathedral "Midnight Mass." A few ride announcements posted places like www.shift2bikes.org and the Bike Temple Blog made us "official."

Yumi and the Rev. cooked a great curry Christmas dinner for The Kernal, Grand Master Morgan, Meghan, myself, and maybe another guest or two, and by 8:00 we were prepared for an onslaught of the faithful for the "Tea and Toddy's Preride Social." Parishoners Joel and Hannah arrived on the scene as we busted out the Vodka-spiked eggnog (Thanks Aaron T!) and we began the night of revelry with wheat-free pecan pie, ice cream, and hot drinks.

Then it was out in to the night to hitch ourselves up to the Milliped/Santa Sled for the ride downtown. The Kernal played Santa, and we all adopted our Reindeer names for this part of the ride. I was Donner (in memory of a friend by that name -- rest in peace, Blake Donner), Grand Master Morgan was "Blitzen," I don't remember the others. But we had a great time cruising down through the light traffic, taking the lane on the Broadway Bridge, and regretted that we hadn't thought to bring gifts for the gaggles of homeless folks we passed along the way. Arriving at the church at 8:55, we parked the whole contraption on the sidewalk directly outside the front door, left the lights blazing, and went inside.

Apparently, it's good to arrive a little early for Christmas Eve services. It was almost a full house! The only seating left was on a pew built into the wall, and we scooted all the way to the front as there were more folks coming in behind us. They weren't particularly comfy seats since there was a strip of molding at neck level, but the view was pretty good -- we were all the way to the front of the sanctuary, looking squarely at the side of the pulpit, with a 9' grand piano as eye-candy in the foreground. We were also beneath the balcony level, and the ceiling was wood shiplap planks angled away from us, so you could actually hear yourself sing because the sound would bounce right back at you.

The service was great! Lots of music, lots of standing up and sitting down, pipe organ playing at full blast, choir, handbell choir, all doing their thing. And fairly minimal sermonage -- not enough to make any of our party bored, at any rate.

They told "The Christmas Story," read a few passages from key New Testament books, sang traditional carols with the congregation, had less-known music sung by the choir. I made an interesting observation (to myself, anyway) that if I was ever to get a girl knocked up, and not want to have folks make a fuss about it, I think I'd just come right out and fess up. "Ya, we were fooling around, shouldn't have done it, but, hey, we love each other and we're going to get hitched and make everything A-OK." The deal that Joseph and Mary did, where they said she was still a virgin, he didn't do anything, no hanky-panky, it was really God that mysteriously got her knocked up, might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but I think it backfired on them. If their kid would have been a low-life scum then they'd have been fine, but since he turned out to be a really cool cat and have a bunch of religious followers in the end, it made it so that 2000 frikking years later folks are still telling the story, in great detail! "Mary was a sweet little thing, would never ever have fooled around with anyone, Joseph did the noble thing and took her to wife anyhow." It's about as transparent of a shotgun wedding story as I've ever heard, and now their little round of innocent fornication and complex cover-up gets rebroadcast at a zillion Christian churches around the world, every year, 60 generations later... (And they did it at Midnight Mass, too -- we heard it twice that night!)

After the service we lingered a bit to examine the beautiful architecture, wander around the balcony, talk to the handbell director, etc. (See "Monogamous Sects" ride for more details), then we hitched back up to the Milliped and rode off to St. Mary's.

We had to make one brief stop along the way, though, at the Zoobomb Plinth. New in 2009, it's essentially an public alter for the bicycle faith

St. Mary's was grand, and we arrived just in time to get the last seats in the house. Which were up in the choir loft, 6' in front of the pipe organ. A dream come true for myself, I looked forward to having my entire torso reverberate to those great bass notes. Rev. Jason got a seat right up against the organ console, which was helped him enjoy the duller parts of service. We were directly behind some other folks, though, and the wooden railing, wrought iron railing supports and Christmas wreathery gave us a somewhat obstructed view of the service. I noted that the man in front of me might be one of those "Christmas and Easter" Catholics, as his jacket smelled distinctly of mothballs.

The service was okay. An hour of singing (which was good), then an hour + of mass got a little long for some of the templors, but I loved the whole thing. The pipe organ was indeed fabulous to sit next to, with the bass pretty much drowning out everything else. The service wasn't as enjoyable as the Presbyterian, it was a little more formal, a little less content, but it was cool to see the Archbishop take different hats on and off. Or, rather, have someone else take them on and off him. And he gave a classic "shy pope" wave as he left the sanctuary after the service.

Then a ride back home with the Milliped and a sweet night's sleep.

Looking forward to next year, if I play hookey from Mom and the clan again. Otherwise maybe 2 years...

Yours in The Faith,
Pasture Ted

Portland churches in need of congregations

2010-01-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

I was getting my hair cut this morning by Wendy the Artist. As usual, the conversation drifted toward bikes and/or religion, and she mentioned that she'd heard of a church down on SE Division that was down to five attendees, but then they got a new leader who brought in a whole new community of Buddhists, and the church was thriving again.

I'd been thinking that the Bike Temple might be able to simply adopt an older congregation -- get a bunch of new families in the organization, help out cleaning the gutters, painting the building, taking care of the elderly folks, and basically have the run of the place. Set up a bike shop in the basement, have lots of great events and parties. If the Boy Scout Troup has been going for 65 years, keep it going, etc.

Then I picked up today's Portland Tribune, and the cover headline is about how Portland has many churches that are simply fading away. The Eastminster Presbyterian Church was highlighted -- only 50 members left, average age 79. Thinking about closing up shop.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=126341686375739300

They sound like they're ripe for an infusion of bicyclists to come in, join the congregation, expand the program to include a hefty dose of bicycle healing and worship, and sail off into the sunset/dawn together.

This might not be attractive to the "Zoobomb/MMR" component of Temple followers, but it might work out darn well for the "My Bakfeit is my Family Car" component. A place to gather together as a community, have kids grow up together, have corn feeds in the summer, paint the building inside and out once every 10 years, get the elderly folks to help out serving cookies at bike rodeos, etc. And affirm a deep-seated belief in bicycles.

Thoughts?

Yours in The Faith,

Pasture Ted

(Also, the NE Portland Tool Library jas just moved into the basement of the Holy Redeemer Church -- see story at http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/12/vernon_northeast_tool_library.html --this is another example of how the Bike Temple could grow)

Recap: Joy of Monogamous Sects #1

2010-01-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

Today marked the first of our new spin-off Joy of Sects ride, the Joy of Monogamous Sects. As with our original JOS rides, the JOMS is intended to take people to different churches or houses of worship by bike, allow them to witness what a religion and congregation is all about, and make decisions for themselves. Because this is a monogamous ride, today's tour included only one house of worship: The 1st P resbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon.

Our modest group started the morning off at the Pastures Ranch at NE Tillamook and Rodney with some Tea and conversation. Once all of the willing were ready, we rode over the Broadway bridge and into downtown, the church's steeple leading us the entire way.

The services were interesting and fulfilling, even those faint-of-spirit were intrigued by the 30 person choir, the bell choir, oboe, and all the pomp and ritual of any self-respecting god-fearing christian congregation. The architecture of the building is amazing inside and out. The church offers tours and information about their building for those who are interested.

One idea we came up with today is to start a directory of houses of worship based on our JOS experiences and informs those who choose to cycle to church about how bike-friendly each location and group is. More will come of this idea hopefully soon, but to kick it off, here are some specifics about the 1st Presbyterian Church that should be of help to those who make the trip by bike on Sunday Morning

Total designated bicycle parking spaces: 18 (These are easy to miss, but once you find them, you're in for a treat. They are located in the church's lavish 3 story under-ground parking facility toward the back of each floor. Designed to hang 6 bikes each, these racks are lockable and each mounted below a security camera, away from passers-by and the elements.)
Total designated auto parking spaces: 150
Total people in attendance at todaly's services: 150
Number of cars driven to services: estimated 100-150
Total number of bicycles ridden to today's services (not including those brought by the JOS riders): 0
Mentions during services of "alternative transport" options: 0
Mentions during services of community or environmental responsibility: 0
Average age of attendee: 50

Hopefully we can find a way to neatly compile and organize this data and other notes we take on this ride, as well as give members of these groups an opportunity to add their own feedback. If anyone has any experience in the collection and displaying of group data such as this, and would like to contribute to this project, please feel free to contact us.

Until next month!
BT

"Joy of Monogamous Sects" -- ride this Sunday

2010-01-05T03:45:00.000-08:00

Join the Bike Temple this Sunday on our first "Monogamous Sects" ride to a Sunday Service at the First Presbyterian Church. Sunday, Jan 10th, 2010.

"Monogamous Sects" rides will be a ride to visit a single Portland church and attend a regular worship service, then ride on to another venue for lunch to discuss the service. (These differ from the popular "Joy of Sects" rides where we visit several different churches in quick succession).

We chose the Presbyterians for the first ride because we went there on the Christmas Eve Joy of Sects ride and had a great time, and they suggested we return for this service because the hand bell choir will be performing again. It's a terrific venue, the building is large, grand, and about 130 years old. It's made of wood -- all wood, big beams, bony pews, shiplap ceilings, wood floors, so there's plenty of eye candy even if you don't fancy listening to the service.

After the service we'll adjourn to a restaurant and talk about the service.

The pace will be slow or very slow, total distance about 4 miles.

Feeling shy? No worries, come anyway, there's usually about 10 people on our rides, and a couple of those are new each time.

Schedule:
10:00 -- meet at Pasture Ted's house for snacks and socializing. 60 NE Tillamook St (just north of Rose Quarter)
10:30 -- ride
11:00 -- service begins
12:10 service ends, ride to restaurant
12:30 - 1:30 discuss/debrief/decompress/socialize

*************

A few other notes:

Church info:
* http://www.firstpresportland.org/
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyterian

Family-friendly
* Despite the racy name, the ride/service are family friendly, and probably a bit dull. (We like racy names to keep ourselves amused).

Purpose? Why do we do these rides?
* Cultural exchange -- see what happens inside Portland's churches.
* For those that kinda like religion but don't want full immersion, you can visit a few churches and talk about it with other folks.
* Model for a bicycle religion -- what would a bicycle religion look like? What rituals/activities/social services would we like to adopt from conventional religion?

For more info, post on the message board or contact Pasture Ted at 530-848-3615 (not a 503 #), or email ted101 at gmail.

The state of the Temple–Rolling forward into our second year

2009-12-31T10:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings Bicycle Believers!

What a year it has been! Since our first official meetings in March of 2009 we have seen the Bike Temple grow and involve itself in some very great ways. The clergy here have brought you on 3 Joy of Sects Rides, helped organize 7 other group rides, built the city's first bicycle shrine, hosted or participated in over 25 community events, and opened up a community bicycle healing workshop with worship and event facilities attached!

While our main mission has always been to deepen people's relationship with their bicycles, the folks at the temple have also set their sights on higher plains. Here are a few things that make the Bike Temple unique and valuable to its congregation...

Our group and its members are involved in activism, advocacy, and education within the community in a wide variety of ways.
Our events and facilities exist to help the community provide for those in need of bicycles or services that could not otherwise afford them.
Our Joy of Sects guided religion tours and similar events are designed to help those who believe in the power of the bicycle find an organized religion that suits them, and learn more about the area's spiritual assets.
We are a negative-profit group, sustained by the sacrifices of a handful of individuals who ask for nothing in return.

Our goals for 2010 are to continue and mature our current path, as well as expand our shop services and hours, event calendar, community outreach. We would like to make the Bike Temple a known and valuable asset to the bicycling community. We have no doubt that all of this and more will be possible.

Our current financial obligations are not large, but we are still personally burdened with them, and in order to sustain and expand it will be necessary to find more people in the community who believe in our cause and actions to help contribute in any way possible. We have a solid obligation of $150 each month to our landlords, and while a few gracious individuals have stepped up to help meet that obligation from time to time, we still find that sum coming from the pockets of 2-5 of us a majority of the time.

We hope to find more people in the community who are willing to pitch in a one-time or small monthly contribution. The monetary burden on just a few people can be uncomfortable, but spread across many supporters it is easy.

If you would like to make a regular or one-time contribution to the Bike Temple, please contact us using this form or drop it by our shop during open hours. We do not currently have the capability to process online payments, but we are more than happy to provide you with a mailing address or come and pick up your contribution personally. Please note that because we are not a legally a non-profit organization (yet) your donation will not be tax deductible, but it will be put to great work.

We wish to express our humble thanks to everyone who has contributed their time, services, donations, and presence this year. We expect 2010 to be even better!

In the name of the wheel, the chain, and the hollow frame,
Let us ride.

-The Bike Temple

Joy of Sects on Christmas Eve

2009-12-23T01:37:00.000-08:00

"Christmas" is a winter-solstice holiday of the Christian religion that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. Join the Bike Temple as we endeavor to learn more about Christianity by attending the Christmas-Eve services of two major Christian denominations in Portland.

Services include singing, organ music, sermons, bells, incense, pagentry, and other fun stuff that teach you more about the Christian religion and keep you entertained.

Come learn more about the religions of Portland on our first annual "Joy of Sects on Christmas" ride.

We'll have two special guests -- the Reverend Jason and Sister Yumi from the Bike Church in Davis, CA. Sister Yumi is the daughter of a former nun, and the Reverend Jason is a former Southern Baptist, they can answer questions about various Christian denominations, including Catholicism.

Schedule:
* 8:00 pm, meet at Pasture Ted's house for hot toddys and chocolate. 60 NE Tillamook St.

* 8:30 -- Ride!

* 9:00 pm, First Presbyterian Church, SW 12th and Alder
Featuring handbells, lessons, and a "chancel choir"
http://www.firstpresportland.org/

*11:00 pm St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, NW 17th and Davis
Featuring singing of carols at 11pm, midnight mass at 12:00am. Lots of incense, maybe a kiddy's nativity play.
http://maryscathedral.com/

Weather forecast? Partly cloudy, low of 30.

Questions, comments, or want to meet up with the ride midway? Call Ted at 530-848-3615 (not 503) or email ted101@gmail.com

Bikanukkah Ride Recap

2009-12-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

Without much help on the publicity end of things from the Temple gang (sorry!) the Kernal and Aaron Tarfman organized a wonderful Bikanukkah Ride tonight, showcasing and touring the finer points of the Jewish holiday.

We started out at the Old Lampoc pub, drinking the special 'Eight Malty Nights' beer as Moses told the story of Chanukah. This was quite the opportunity for those of us unfamiliar with the background and story of the holiday to get to know it a little better and ask questions. After the bar we were greeted by a wonderful sight: the organizers had build a giant trailerable menorah, complete with bike blinky candles!We towed the Menorah to Voodoo doughnuts, where another surprise awaited. The crew at Voodoo had just put the finishing touches on a platter of Jew-nuts, special for our group, featuring dradles, a menorah, a rabbi, a chai, a few stars of David, and, let's not forget, a penis mid-circumcision.After we had feasted on candles and pastry foreskin we made our way to the Pasture's Ranch, where finished off a great evening by playing dradles and eating latkes.

It was a wonderful time. Hopefully this will become a new Portland tradition and bicycle holy day for us all to enjoy!

The new biketemple.org is up!

2009-11-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

Without further ado...

biketemple.org!

Hopefully that makes things a little easier. Expect future features as well.

Bike-in Potluck Dinner at the Bike Temple

2009-11-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

The Bike Temple is hosting a Thanksgiving-ish potluck dinner for the community on Sunday, November 22nd at the Temple Come by to eat, drink, and be merry with your fellow bicycle believers. Food and beverage of all types welcome. This is an all-ages event. Please confirm your attendance and add your name and what you are bringing to our sign-up sheet here:

http://bit.ly/3lR9N0

(be sure to note if your dish is vegan/vegie. friendly so that we can be sure to have enough for everyone.)

Invite your friends!

Open Shop Tonight!

2009-11-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

The Bike Temple Shop is open tonight!6:00-8:30pm
NE 9th and Going
(look for the basement-level door that faces 9th)

Stop by if your bicycle needs healing, or if you just want to hang out for a while.

I also have a handfull of new cheap-but-functional red LED blinkies to hand out for free or donation.

We are looking for more volunteers to help staff the shop, both during our regular Wednesday night hours and for a possible expansion of the schedule. If you have any free time to invest and would like to hang out in Portland's coolest church drop us a line (biketemple[at]gmail) and let us know what days and frequency works best for you.

Hope to see you tonight!

-Deacon Amos

Bike Temple meeting tonight

2009-11-09T02:12:00.000-08:00

Bike Temple meetings are now on a schedule! Every other Monday at 8:00 pm, at Pasture Ted's house, 60 NE Tillamook St. Come at 7:30 for refreshment and chitchat.

Tonight we'll talk about
* Our November service -- Sunday the 22nd
* Open Night -- report on how its working, how many weddings, healings, funerals, miracles, demons cast out, etc.
* Report on the modern miracle of the Bike Shrine at St. Stephens? (Maybe a monthly noonish pilgrimage is on order for those who work downtown)
* I dunno, more Joy of Sects?
* Probably some other stuff
and maybe
* sampling of different ciders for December communion

Come if you can. Are are welcome -- we might be a bit quirky but we're not exclusive. Or if we are, someone should tell us so so we can figure out how to open up a bit.

Luv 'n kisses
Pasture Ted and the rest of the clergy

(BTW, that's Deacon Amos in the photo, displaying Tract re II.0 at an epic summer Temple meeting at BillyRae's Dive)

Podcast of KBOO Bike Show featuring Bike Temple now available.

2009-11-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to portlandtransport.com!

If you missed today's KBOO Bike Show featuring our own Kernal Loose Nut you can download and listen to it in its entirety here.

Radio at its finest!

Bike Temple on KBOO today -- Tune in to Kernal Loose Nut

2009-11-04T00:18:00.001-08:00

The Bike Temple and Bike Farm will be on KBOO's bicycle show, today at 11:00am. Tune in at 90.7 fm or go online to http://kboo.fm/

Kernal Loose Nut will be talking about the Bike Temple, faith in bicycles, and whatever other bicycle or religious topics wander along.

The Kernal will also discuss the new "Five by Fifteen" initiative -- a proposal to have 5% of Portland's asphalt
(search for "Five by Fifteen" at www.facebook.com for more details.

See the comments section to for details on downloading the show after it has been broadcast.

Ride to the Madonna del Ghisallo Shrine dedication

2009-11-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

St. Stephens Episcopal Church is dedicating a shrine to the Madonna del Ghisallo, patron saint of cyclists. 5:30pm, Monday November 2nd. 1432 SW 13th Ave (at Clay)

It will be a 20 minute service, and Halley the Bicycling Harpist will be providing the music.

We'll be meeting at the Bike Temple to ride to the dedication --
meet at 4:00 pm to pay alms to our own painting of The Madonna, have light communion, then leave at 4:30 to ride downtown.

Afterwards we'll continue the ride and either head back Northeast or get some food.

For more info, see the St. Stephens site at http://www.stst.org/bike.htm

Regular Staffing of Bike Temple Shop to Begin Today

2009-10-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we have begun regular staffing of the Bike Temple shop starting today! As of right now we are open every Wednesday from 6:00-8:30pm, hours are expected to increase as more volunteers and time surfaces.

Stop by if you need your bicycle blessed, have some spare bikes/parts/tools to donate, or just want to hang out with your fellow believers in a naturally air-conditioned environment.

If you are interested in becoming a regular Temple Shop staffer send us an email and let us know when works for you.

Stop by!

The Bike Temple
NE 9th and Going
(Basement level door on NE corner of big white church building)