I headed back out on the road today for another adventure-- World Tour Redux. This leg of the fall World Tour took me out to Memphis, Tennessee, where I had a wonderful time with the joint Bible study of Presbyterian Place and the Wesley House at the University of Memphis talking about women's leadership in the church. But first...

I woke up this morning in Louisville to a torrential downpour of rain, which is never a good way to start out a trip. But what the weatherman had to say only brought more discouraging news-- while this storm front would pass to the north, an even more powerful front was headed our way in the afternoon. Apparently this storm system had the potential for damaging winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and worst of all, possible tornado activity. By the time I got into the office this morning (after picking up a new rental car that is not a clown car), I had heard from my mother begging me not to drive into the storm... which of course, was coming from Memphis. I decided to drive on to Nashville during the quiet morning hours and see what happened, and later I chose to continue driving until I hit the storm itself. I made it all the way to Jackson, Tennessee, 75 miles outside of Memphis, before the action started.

Now, for those of you who grew up in tornado-plagued areas, none of this seems particularly traumatic. For me, from tornado-free Washington State, it was a bit freaky. I had decided to ride out the storm in a bookstore, and as I drove up the tornado sirens started. I ran into the store, where they immediately huddled us into a back hallway by the bathrooms. No one else seemed particularly perturbed by our plight. I had trouble conveying that calm to my mom, however, who couldn't get over the sirens wailing in the background. But all was well-- even though we felt the storm passing through overhead and even heard rumors that tornados had touched down within ten miles of us, nothing particularly scary happened. So I just waited out the storm and then had a fairly calm, easy drive the rest of the way into Memphis.

We held Bible Study at the Wesley House, since Presbyterian Place doesn't have large enough facilities to hold the 60 plus people who were there. Afterwards, a student showed me around one of the most unique chapels I've ever seen on a college campus. Students have divided the regular chapel room into seven smaller rooms, separated by curtains. The overall theme is emerging worship, and each room has a specific emphasis for spiritual reflection and devotion. One Zen-inspired room, for instance, includes sand and a large wooden cross to symbolize the barren times in our spiritual lives. The students built a waterfall in another room. The traditional "chapel" room, where students take communion, includes a separate holy place swathed completely in red. And one room focuses on letting students use paints, pastels, and other artistic media to express their faith. Soothing meditative music fills the chapel (and you can borrow a set of headphones and pick you own music from their collection, too). The student said that this holy space draws people from all over campus, including those who distance themselves from church. It was a fantastic idea.

Tomorrow I will head back to the University of Memphis to preach in a joint chapel service between the Presbyterians and Episcopalians. I'm also looking forward to learning more about the leadership these Presbyterian students are taking on campus and in the presbytery. Their ministry is particularly student-driven and focused, and I'm excited to see how I can help out with that. Until tomorrow!

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you. "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires." --Isaiah 54:10-11

Kelsey