Fruits of the Spirit I: Joseph and the Super Fabulous Coat
by the Rev. AJ Ochart
Sermon Notes
This week we start the Sermon Series for the month of June, “Fruits of the Spirit: Queer Possibilities in Scripture”*. People who experience attraction to their own sex, multiple sexes, multiple genders, or no one in particular have always existed. People whose gender identity does not coincide with their sex assigned at birth have always existed. People who are genetically and/or physiologically both or neither sex have always existed. Today we have words like: Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, intersex, etc. to describe those with these orientations and experiences. Some use the acronym LGBTQIA+ or ‘Queer’ as a blanket term that covers all those who are not-straight and who do not fit into a strict gender binary (recent studies suggest that up to 25% of the population falls under this umbrella). People of queer identity and experience certainly did exist in the ancient world, but the ways that they were described were different. In this series, we will be looking at a handful of characters in the Bible who can be interpreted as being queer, starting with Joseph son of Jacob.
Joseph has long been seen as being a little fruity. Rabbis as far back as the 3rd Century discussed his feminine qualities, and even suggested that his sex may have been switched in-utero. This queer reading of Joseph gives modern readers a fresh perspective on the story of this ‘Image of God’ at the end of the scroll of Genesis. We will go through the story of Joseph, which most of us have heard a hundred times, but look at it through a new lens.
We are also going to be trying something new during the summer, a Talk-Back after the service. Those attending live (in-person or virtual) will be able to submit questions on their smartphones (or computer) by going to this page. So stick around after the service for some more discussion on Joseph and the queer experience.
*This is a joke, riffing off of the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ from Galatians, but not specifically referencing that part of Galatians. It is a play on the idea that queer people are ‘fruity.’
Questions to Consider
– How does the idea of an LGBTQIA+ character in the Bible strike you?
– What difference does it make if Joseph were read as, and/or actually was queer?
– What parts of this story takes on a new or different meaning when read through this len?
