Bridges Built in One Day...With Tubas!

PUBLISHED IN THE EVANGEL // January 2, 2007

by Mark Edwards, associate pastor/minister of music

Our church hosted TubaChristmas on December 19, an annual gathering of area tuba players giving a concert of Christmas carols. There were 140+ tuba and euphonium (baby tubas) players (including some of our own children, teen-agers, and adults) crammed into our choir loft and extended stage. Evidently each player brought along 12-15 spectators because I have never seen as many people at our church—standing room only and people were watching it on the monitor in the foyer. It was a lot of fun.

TubaChristmas outgrew last year’s venue—Downtown Presbyterian Church—and so we invited them to our house. Downtown Pres liked hosting the event because they took up an offering for their Wednesday lunch for the homeless. So we offered to host and take up the offering for them. Last year they collected $1900. This year $6757 was given as people left the concert. Pastor Ken Locke (Southern Baptist missionary’s kid) could hardly contain his excitement. That money will fund the program for almost six months.

Shall we count the bridges built that day? One to the community for opening our home to them; one to TubaChristmas crew and families, one to our spiritual siblings at Downtown Pres, and one to the poor for whom our efforts make possible a weekly lunch. There is no telling how many people in the TV viewing area saw the news coverage with First Baptist Nashville plastered all over it.

I guess bridge-building is not all that hard! We all did a pretty good day’s work.

More Photos and Videos from TubaChristmas available online »