There's this website called unphotographable. I love it. And there were so many things this weekend that I didn't take a picture of, and so many that I couldn't have even if I had wanted to. Here are a few of them.
This is the picture I did not take of two little old church ladies- happily walking down the hall hand in hand.
This is the picture I did not take of my friend Tyler dancing to Christ Has Broken Down the Wall, across the stage and down the aisle and around the room, dancing so beautifully that I couldn't help but cry.
This is the picture I did not take of the joy on my friend Justin's face as he received his first reconciling stole, one of a beautiful crowd of 700 joyfully bestowing them on one another.
This is the picture I did not take of a family, the mother offering communion to her two little boys, and the five year old offering it to his mother in return.
This is the picture I did not take of my friend Mittie standing up to sign the chorus of We Are Called and watching it spread across the crowd.
This is the picture I did not take of the Reverend Amy DeLong, standing up to do what she was called to do, still a reverend and still a faithful, loving companion to her partner Val.
This is the picture I did not take of a grown man in tears as he told us about the recent affirmation of our LGBT brothers and sisters by the Presbyterian Church (USA), or of the tears in the eyes of the crowd as he told us that he believed we would be next.
This is the picture I did not take of 50 young adults crammed into a tiny room to make a plan of action because they are committed to a church that is not always committed to them.
This is the picture I did not take of a room full of people dancing unabashedly in joy and hope.
This is the picture I did not take of 700 people, hand in hand, singing and praying for the church to draw the circle of their love wider.
If you were at Sing A New Song and want to share some of the pictures you didn't take, please leave a comment. I'd love to see them.
This is a picture I did not take: of a friend who has overcome cancer who couldn't wait to introduce me to her new partner.
ReplyDeleteThis is the picture I did not take: of a godparent introducing a godchild on stage while the godchild played a mean bass.
This is the picture I did not take: getting a hug from a college professor and knowing that she and her husband walk with me in the journey towards justice.
This is the picture I did not take: the above professor's 8 year old son telling me that when he grows up he either wants to be Godzilla, a bus driver, or a preacher.
This is the picture I did not take: Jeanne Audrey Powers, the force of nature that she is, dancing with joy to Mark Miller's music.
This is the picture I did not take of Rev. Althea Spencer-Miller bringing powerful lessons about the Bible si(gn)ing a NEW SONG! Who knew there were so many fruits in the Good Book.
ReplyDeleteThis is the picture that I did not take of Mark Miller's magnificent musicians.
And then there's the picture that we did take of our church family in attendance at SANS. Mittie Q
This is the picture I did not take of community coming together to make sure everyone had transportation home in the midst of a hurricane on the east coast.
ReplyDeleteThis is the picture I did not take of the owner of Sawmill Creek Resort who proclaimed, "I am the proud father of a gay son!" after every time he stood to speak.
This is the picture I did not take of the many joyful volunteers who helped make this event happen.
This is the picture I did not take of faculty from the seminary I graduated from embracing me with deep joy and renewed understanding of how our walks for justice are more interwoven than we ever knew: and realizing that we need each other if we are to continue.
This is the picture I did not take of 3-year-old asking, "mommy, why that man in our potty?" and the mother responding with love and patience as she explained the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms.