Bike Night, Take Three

The 'Rents and I just got back from another awesome bike night.  I have to say it was the coolest one I've been to.  This bike night wasn't at a bar or restaurant parking lot; it was at our church.  And it rocked. The group (I hesitate to use the term "gang") is called the Spirit Riders, and they meet every Thursday evening at our church for supper and prayer time.  Each week, a different Sunday School sponsors the meal and comes to visit with the bikers. 

Last month, the 'Rents' class sponsored the meal, and the 'Rents attended their first bike night.  I had a meeting that night and couldn't make it, but assured them I would go the next week.  Thursday came and with it came a huge storm that blew down a tree in the back, so we had to stay home and get the tree up lest the donkeys get out through the downed fence.  The following Thursday just as we were leaving, in came the raccoon hunters with traps, so we had to stay and talk to them.  The next Thursday (last week) we were once again ready to go when once again a big storm came and once again blew down another tree on the fence.  We had to stay and fix the fence to keep the donkeys from escaping.  But we vowed that nothing would keep us from this week's bike night. And it didn't.

We got there and the dining room was packed.  The Spirit Rider's chaplain said there were 72 people there - about half bikers and half Walnut Street members.  How cool is that?  He also asked that the church members and bikers not all sit together but to mix it up at the tables.  At my table, we had Tina and Amy (chick bikers) and George (another biker chaplain).  After supper, the chaplain asked for prayer requests and then we prayed for friends, relatives, and co-workers of the bikers, and we prayed for all of the bikers there.  We even prayed for a three-legged kitten named Tripod to be adopted so it wouldn't be put to sleep.  After the prayer, two of the bikers talked about their lives and how they've been changed.  When one giant of a guy named Don told about his life as an alcoholic and drug addict and how he spent more of his life in prison than out, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. 

On the way home I thought alot about the Spirit Riders.  Since it was Thursday - the official bike night inthe 'Ville - we saw a ton of bikers out on the road coming home.  Most of them were probably going to or from a bike night at Texas Roadhouse or the Swamp.  Now first of all, I've been to bike nights at both of those places, and I see nothing wrong with them.  But it's the best environment for bikers that are trying to overcome alcohol addiction to attend a bike night at a bar parking lot.  It's just awesome that a church and a group like the Spirit Riders has an alternative available to the bikers that are struggling with their recovery and sobriety.  The three of us said we can't wait till next Thursday. We'll be back again with the Spirit Riders.  The chaplain Al even said that once we become "regulars" they might just give us cool biker knicknames.  I can't wait.