“Queer” is a word that means odd, unexpected, surprizing, and maybe unsettling. It also has come to refer to people who experience romantic attraction or gender identity in ways that are uncommon. Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, non-binary, intersexed, two-spirited, asexual or just questioning can give a person a “queer” perspective on love, gender, life, and spirituality.
The Bible gives us a rich tapestry of images, stories and poetry that reflects the many ways that people have struggled to express their relationship with the Divine. Many people who identify as “queer” have been turned off or turned away from claiming this heritage as their own, and from finding community in the quest for God.
Queer Vespers is a new ministry of the Comox United Church, by and especially for queer people and others who want to explore the Bible from new, queer perspectives. In this sacred time we will bring our whole selves to prayer, music, and selections from the Bible.
Each month there will be a short explanation of where a piece of scripture comes from, who it was written for, and what was going on at the time. In the safety of a moderated virtual space, participants will be invited to “queer” the Bible reading by exploring it in light of their own lives—how it may explain, inspire, challenge, or express something that they know, too, through experience.
Queer Vespers is held via a Zoom connection on the last Sunday of the month, from 7 pm to 8:30. We are led by Serena Patterson, with support from the ministerial staff of Wayne Hughes and Keltie VanBinsbergen. Please join us on November 29th, by clicking on the link below:
For more information about Queer Vespers, please email queervespers@comoxunited.ca