Nashville, TN - November 2023

Contributor: Wyatt Thompson

Broadway at Sunset

From the day we left Branson, we missed each other so much that we could not bear the thought of waiting seven weeks to see each other again.  But once we were reunited, the family was back and there was no way we were not going to have an amazing time.  The Nashville Excursion was completely different from the Branson Excursion and it was remarkable in many ways.

An Unexpected Experience in Music City

On the day we arrived, we stopped at The Well Coffeehouse for lunch as we waited to check-in to the Airbnb.  This was a neat café with a delicious selection of menu items.  I definitely recommend checking it out after leaving the airport.

On the second day, we toured the Tennessee State Museum.  This museum is full of American history pertaining to Tennessee from the Native Americans to the present day as well as a beautiful collection of artworks from various artistic periods.  I highly suggest checking this out if you love history, art, and the state of Tennessee.  Afterwards, we spontaneously decided to visit the Nashville Famer’s Market.  This was a neat little place to grab a bite to eat, get a cup of coffee, and buy a t-shirt.

On the third day, we had a robust itinerary.  First, we visited Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, which was surprisingly a beautiful wildlife facility.  The clean, lush exhibits were nestled in the heart of suburban Nashville.  This is definitely worth visiting if you want to spend time in a more natural location outside the city.  Later, we went out to Broadway for dinner and nightlife.  We ate at the Hard Rock Café, went shopping on Broadway for shopping, and line danced at the Wildhorse Saloon (now Category 10).

On the last day of activities, we visited The Parthenon and Centennial Park.  The Parthenon was a fascinating structure with beautiful artwork on the first floor and the Greek Mythology exhibits on the second.  Our Foundations memory work came alive here.  Centennial Park was very pretty.  Some of us viewed the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument while others beelined for the Taylor Swift bench. This too was a memorable trip, and I look forward to revisiting Nashville.

Broadway at Night

Worship Team – Planning in a Different Capacity

On this excursion, I had the privilege of serving as the Devo & Worship Leader.  When requesting preferred jurisdictions, I considered that this could be quite fun because I could use my skills from a previous ministry to work in a new environment.  In this role, I collaborated with two peers to thoughtfully consider the devo topic and chose worship songs. 

Prior to the trip, I asked everyone to suggest a favorite worship song.  After collecting requests, I noted the common themes, which turned out to be leadership choices and consequences.  After choosing the characters and the stories, I considered the lyrics of the songs and arranged the daily worship sets in ways that helped us go further up and further into the devo topics. 

Each day, we concentrated on a specific Bible character, discussing his choices and consequences as well as whether he was a leader we would want to imitate.  We examined Job responding to his immense loss, Jonah fleeing from Nineveh, and Jesus choosing the cross. 

When we studied Job, we sang songs that helped us remember that God works in us despite loss.  When we studied Jonah, we sang songs that reminded us how God forgives still uses His people in His redemption plan.  When we studied Jesus, we sang songs that reflect on how He is the King who saved us and commissions us with the Holy Spirit.

Choosing devotionals and worship songs that closely correspond to each other is one of my favorite ways to serve others.  Doing it for this group of peers presented a unique challenge because we attend different churches and represent a variety of denominations.  In collaboration with the two peers mentioned above, a setlist was successfully created that we could all enjoy and appreciate.  As a result, we had an amazing time worshiping and participating in Spirit-led conversations.

The Peer Dynamic – The Growth of the Community

From Branson to Nashville, the growth we experienced as a community was tremendous.  Although we had seen each other each week on community day, we genuinely missed each other.  From the moment we left the airport, we were inseparable.  While we loved touring the city, we could not spend enough time together at home.  We talked, played games, and laughed together every second we could.  In Branson, we were distant cousins.  In Nashville, we were a united family.

Final Thoughts

The Nashville Excursion was an exhilarating experience!  Although the itinerary looked a little different than an expected trip to Nashville, we had a wonderful time together learning about the history of the state, touring a wildlife facility, enjoying Broadway nightlife, and visiting an historic monument.  Serving as the Devo and Worship Leader was an exciting opportunity, as I deliberately planned what we would sing and discuss. Finally, this excursion resulted in genuine fellowship and wonderful memories.

Odyssey Leadership 23/24 Class at the Tennessee State Museum