Moving in the Spirit
In June 2019, All Saints’ Episcopal Church Atlanta celebrated the birthday of the church with multi-cultural, intergenerational worship to give thanks for the beautiful diversity of the human family in all its forms.
Worship focused on the theme of "liturgy with the body," integrating movement and dance to demonstrate different forms of expression and honor the connection between body and soul. All of the following pictures were taken at All Saints' during this special service.
The famous American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham said, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” But when it is part of the worship, the language is no longer hidden. It is visible to God and shared with others. Photos taken at All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
The idea of worship through dance dates back to the book of Exodus, when the prophet Miriam and “all the women” danced to celebrate the defeat of Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 15:20). Here we see fire dancing capturing the jubilance of the Holy Spirit, offered by Melissa Coffey Dancers. Photo taken at All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
The Atlanta Junkanoo group offers a dazzling celebration of Bahamian American culture with their magnificent carnival costumes and street procession music. Photo taken at All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
The annual Junkanoo festival is celebrated over Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Photos taken at All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
Rwandan American women who came to Atlanta as refugees perform their sacred traditional dances to captivating rhythmic beats. Photo taken at All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
What better anthem for the choir at a celebration of movement than “Lord of the Dance”? Lyricist Sydney Carter explained his words this way: “I see Christ as the incarnation of the piper who is calling us. He dances that shape and pattern which is at the heart of our reality.” Photo taken at All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
