Captain Chuck-A-Muck’s! Now, that’s a great little seafood place! It is located in the small town of Rescue, Virginia, and sits right on Jones Creek which flows into the James River. You can drive to Chuck-A-Muck’s or travel by boat and tie up at the dock. The menu is cleverly written; a sail covers the outdoor dining area; the restroom doors don’t have locks, but can be “tied off” with a rope to secure them. Last Saturday night, my family and I ate there with our dear friends Bob and Allene Stoddert whom we have known for 22 years. Bob and Allene live in nearby Smithfield, and we were blessed to spend last week in their home, enjoying sweet fellowship, visiting historical sites in the area, and spending some time at the beach.
The seafood at Captain Chuck-A-Muck’s was great, and the company was even better; but there was something else that added an unexpected blessing to our dining experience. On each table was a Prayer Menu, the front of which bore an ichthus symbol. The inside front cover of the Prayer Menu read as follows:
“At Chuck-A-Muck’s, we love all saints and sinners. We are Baptist Christians and therefore like to bless our food before we eat. Sometimes we forget to say our blessings when we go out to eat, or maybe sometimes people feel uncomfortable about it. This little menu is just a reminder to give thanks, with a couple of different suggestions from our pastor. If you are not a Christian, please do not take offense to this…we just feel that we have a lot to be thankful for in this great country, which is founded on these principles.”
On the opposite page there is a “menu” of seven prayer suggestions that patrons can use in giving thanks before their meal, including two specifically for children. One of the general prayers reads:
“Lord, we pause for just a moment to thank you for all you do for us. This meal is just a small indication of your love, and for it and much more we are grateful. Mostly we thank you for sending Jesus to be our Savior. May we always serve you faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
In recent months, I have read interesting discussions on at least two blogs (thanks, Tim Archer and Bobby Ross!) about varying comfort levels and personal habits among Christians in offering thanks to God for meals when dining out. I really appreciated their insights and enjoyed reading the comments of others. However, last Saturday at Captain Chuck-A-Muck’s was my first experience at an eating establishment that encouraged, facilitated, and intentionally created an “atmosphere of expectation” for the giving of thanks for our daily bread. How amazingly refreshing!
Kudos to owners Chuck and Cris Lawrence for the openness of their faith and to their preacher, Jimmy Acree, for assisting them with the Prayer Menu. We were going to pray anyway (and did), but our thanksgiving was made more memorable and special by the encouragement of the Prayer Menu.
Thinking Out Loud 
4 comments
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August 19, 2010 at 10:38 am
Bobby Ross Jr.
Very interesting post, Tim! Thanks for sharing.
August 23, 2010 at 9:06 am
Dorothy
I came across this website this morning (Monday, August 23rd) and it just………..blew me away! I simply LOVE it and plan to read and re read it over and over later today when I have a little more time. Thank you SO MUCH for it. Knowing you must be a blessing. I’m not here to complain, or be a winer, but I am so low in my spirit right now and so sad (because of a LOT of family sickness and sadness and I’ve tried to get through to the Lord (as I know Him as my Personal Saviour) but all this sadness overwhelmes me when I start to pray. Just so that you know what I am talking about – On Christmas Eve, last year, my beautiful little dog was viciously attacked by a German Shepherd, which ripped half of her back off. She is fine today – 8 months later. Then a few days after that my brother was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with cancer in the lungs, stomach and throat – he died 2 months ago to day. Then my other two sisters, Jean and Joyce, have been admitted to a Nursing Home suffering from Alzheimer’s – and Jean just fell in the NH and broke her hip – she weights 86 lbs. So I hope you understand why my spirit is SO low and my emotions are S-H-A-T-T-E-R-E-D. I live in Toronto Canada and I just want to say a very very very BIG thank you to you for this website. I wish I could meet you in person but I know that’s out of the question – impossible.
May God richly richly richly bless you all.
Dorothy Spridgeon
August 23, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Tim Pyles
Dorothy,
I am so sorry about the series of losses, trials, and difficulties that you and your family have experienced over the last several months. I appreciate your openness and honesty about the impact of these events on your spirit and emotions. But, I am grateful that you have found a Friend in Jesus, and I pray that your faith in Him will sustain, strengthen, and comfort you. I am also glad that you found the blog, and I hope that in reading it you find some things that help lighten your load. Take encouragement that no matter how dark the circumstances surrounding us, there is a God who cares for us and a Savior who died for us. May God bless you and give you strength!
December 7, 2010 at 10:26 am
Chessie3plus2@yahoo.com
We too visited Chuck-A-Muck’s this past Fall while on vacation. A gentleman in Smithfield highly recommended the place and we found it well worth the few extra miles to get there. The restaurant’s history is pretty interesting…several yrs ago a boat caught fire and the fire ended up taking the little restaurant. That fire is why there’s no smoking anywhere on their property now : ) Anyway….although I am not quite comfortable praying in public places, I too was touched by the Prayer Menu and have mentioned it to many. Great little place, nice location, lovely people.
Take care and stay safe.