September 28, 2010

My church is participating in the national 40 day fast. Last Saturday night, during evening service announcements, men were invited to a special 4:00 AM prayer meeting, held (of all places) at Denney’s Restaurant. I’m trying to wrap my head around this: How does one go about choosing a restaurant as a place to celebrate fasting and prayer?

Actually, Denney’s is an interesting selection. Many pivotal moments of my life have played out at Denney’s. In college, I spent countless evenings with my friends, drinking coffee, goofing around, and flirting with waitresses. In seminary, we stayed up at Denney’s till the wee hours of early morning, sipping caffeine and quizzing ourselves for those dreadful final exams waiting in the wings. During my years as a campus minister who made drama a significant part of his outreach, Denney’s was the place we hung out at after late night rehearsals. And these days, I am still at Denney’s while studying for a debate, or writing an article on my lap top, or putting together the script for a radio show as friendly waitresses ask if I need a tenth refill.

Always open, always there 24 hours a day! Good ol’ Denney’s! So many memorable moments! So many reasons to be there! But truth be told, in all those years, I’m not sure food ever had much to do with my motives for driving over to the diner. When I need to study or socialize, I think of Denney’s. When I need to eat, I can think of about fifty other places. Maybe Denney’s is a good place to fast after all. On the other hand, I guess I should put in a word for their Zesty Nachos. That, they actually make well.

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