Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Inc.

LGBTQSIAN2ss+ Community Worship was held on Sunday, July 2, 2023, @ 10:30 a.m. at Ray Of Hope Church, Inc., in person and interactively on the Internet using Skype. We celebrated Indepence Day and we discussed recent Supreme Court decisions.

We like to say to our LGBTQSIAN2ss+++ friends: We are the church made by YOU, for YOU, because we ARE YOU! You are as welcome here as Christ Jesus, Himself. Today you will find persons of every sexual orientation and every gender expression in our congregation and leadership.

Download the Order of Worship with weekly announcements: RIGHT CLICK HERE . See the Facebook Live recording of the worship event: RIGHT CLICK HERE: https://fb.watch/lxyHa0T6Op/. The sermon begins at 34:19.

We are proud to be known as the "WOKE" Church of Elmira and Central NY. Recent Supreme Court decisions are a call to wake up and realize politicians and law makers are chipping away at our hard-earned rights. We discussed these decisions:

June 30, 2023 https://www.supremecourt.gov/

1) 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (21-476) The First Amendment prohibits Colorado from forcing a website designer to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees.

2) Department of Education v. Brown (22-535) Respondents lack Article III standing to assert a procedural challenge to the student-loan debt-forgiveness plan adopted by the Secretary of Education pursuant to Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (HEROES Act).

3) Biden v. Nebraska (22-506) The Secretary of Education does not have authority under the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (HEROES Act) to establish a student loan forgiveness program that will cancel roughly $430 billion in debt principal and affect nearly all borrowers.

June 29, 2023

4) Groff v. DeJoy (22-174) Title VII requires an employer that denies a religious accommodation to show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business.

5) Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (20- 1199) The admissions programs at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/

Ray Of Hope remains committed to all of the Civil Rights afforded to all people in the United States of America. At Ray Of Hope Church, you are not required to believe any of what you are hearing. Your faith and what you decide to believe is your responsibility. Ray Of Hope Church will teach the Historic Christian Doctrine; that is what the Statement Of Purpose says. Listen to the sermon for answers to these matters and more.

The sermon begins at 48:03. Two doctrines discussed today: Welcoming is a divine command with divine rewards. Resurrection is assured to every person who has ever lived.

Ray Of Hope Church strongly supports Trans persons, Trans education, Trans medicine, and the professionals who assist Trans persons. However, we are very critical of the attempts we see in the Church and the State that make things difficult for Trans people and any person of any sexual orientation or gender expression.

There is a great website that tracks how many countries are at war: https://wisevoter.com/country-rankings/countries-currently-at-war/ .

View our new mobile friendly version of our website, here. http://www.rayofhopechurch.com/P2023-Bookmark.htm

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The Music in today's worship event included:

FIRST SONG: Christ Be Our Light. Text and Music by Bernadette Farrell � 1993, Bernadette Farrell. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Onelicense song #80229 Used with Print Permission and Streaming License A-741278.

SECOND SONG: We Are Called. Words and Music by David Haas. Tune: � 1988, GIA Publications, Inc. Text: � 1988, GIA Publications, Inc. Evangelical Lutheran Worship 720 Onelicense Song #00174 Used with Print Permission and Streaming License A-741278.

Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace (Prayer Of St. Francis)

Text: Based on the prayer traditionally ascribed to St. Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226, Sebastian Temple, and music by Sebastian Temple. Dedicated to Mrs. Frances Tracy.� 1967, 1990 OCP Publications. Onelicense Song #80478 Used with Print Permission and Streaming License A-741278.

SONG: REMEMBER ME. Words and Music by Gerrit Gustafson and Martin J. Nystrom � 1991 Integrity's Hosanna! Music. c/o Integrity Music, Inc., P.O. Box 16813, Mobile, AL, 36695. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. CCLI Song # 451177 Used with permission through our Christian Copyright License Incorporated License Number 706121 and Christian Copyright License Incorporated Streaming Plus License 21787152.

Last Song: On Eagles Wings. Words and Music by Michael Joncas. Text: Based on Psalm 91. Text and music � 1979, OCP. All rights reserved. Glory and Praise Second Edition #598 Onelicense song #80468 Used with Print Permission and Streaming License A-741278.

Visit our main webpage www.rayofhopechurch.com.

Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/lgbtqsia2ssByYou/. Visit our new TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@rayofhopechurchlgbtqsia...

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***WOKE*** Conservatives have taken over the expression "woke" popularized by African-American young men. African-Americans used the word to mean staying awake and alert, to have been "woke" up and paying attention to the cultural and religious movements of the past, present, and potential futures. The Ray Of Hope Church Statement of Purpose calls us to stay "woke" at all times, paying attention to the world of religion, politics, and society.

We did not start a new kind of Christianity. Ray Of Hope Church teaches the same Christian faith of ancient ecumenical consensus. St. Vincent of Lerins, a fifth-century monk and theologian, described it as "what has been believed always, everywhere, and by all."

To donate and assist with our expenses, use our secure PayPal link: http://rayofhopechurch.com/DONATE_RAYOFHOPE.htm. You may also donate by sending your donation to Ray Of Hope Church 380 W. 1st St. Elmira, NY 14901, with the attention Treasurer. We always say give what you can but never give your last. Thank you, and God bless you.