Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Inc.
The LGBTQSIAN2ss+ Pride Activities, and Social Events Center of Elmira, NY.
The only Church in Central New York founded and fostered by the GLBTQSIA2ss+ community for 40 years. October 31, 2023 - 40th Anniversary now in our 41st year in Ministry.
Worship is our primary activity as a church. There is an old standard in the church, lex orandi, lex credendi which means that "the law of prayer is the law of faith" or "that which we pray is that which we believe." Our prayer, our worship is the key to understanding what God has revealed for us to accept as true. Our congregation offers the leadership, organization, presentation of worship experiences, and the physical building space for worship and education in spirituality as our primary service to the general public. All are welcome to avail themselves to our services of worship. As always, you are welcome to call the Pastor anytime with your questions about worship @ 607-280-0374.
Page updated
10//12/24
1:50 p.m.
For easy instructions on how to use Skype to participate in our activities click here.
Visit our chapel and take some time for prayer. Here is a Facebook Live video showing you how to come in: CLICK HERE. Or take a short tour of the chapel here: CLICK HERE Use your back arrow to return to our web site.
".....be filled with the Spirit, 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:18b - 20)
Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Inc. The only name associated with this ministry is the "Name above all names." (see Philippians 2:9-11)
Read an essay on who we are as the Church of Jesus Christ that was written by Pastor Benedict in 2017. Click Here.
See our new Facebook live videos taken during our worship events by going to our Worship page by clicking in the main navigation bar or click here.
Follow along at home in worship with us by reading our draft of Service #6 CLICK HERE.
Help us stay on line by making a tax deductable donation.
Everyone has access to the Holy Spirit, the gift of God to us. Below is a rendering of John chapter 16, verse 7 by the translators of the Amplified Bible that I find particularly enlightening. This verse gives many of the attributes of the Holy Spirit, in English, that are all packed and hidden in the original Greek Word parakletos. Each of the capitalized words in the verse below tells us how the Holy Spirit is ready to help us. All we have to do is ask with a short prayer like this: "Oh God, give me the awareness to know you are with me in all these ways through the Holy Spirit, Amen."
Here is the verse in the Amplified Bible
Jesus taught, saying: "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]." John 16:7
Did you realize the Holy Spirit is with you to bring you all those actions of God? If we understand the Real Presence of God is with us in Christ through the powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit, we will experience more confidence, love of ourselves and our neighbors, and be able to feel better about our lived experience. You can have all this and more. Start with that simple prayer above.
Signed: Pastor Benedict, 3-6-21.
LGBTQSIA 2ss+ and millions of other people often secretly wonder every "Easter" how to get three days and three nights of Jesus in the grave from "Good Friday" at 3:00 p.m. to Sunday morning sunrise service. This question is exacerbated when we go from Friday 3:00 p.m. to the "Easter Vigil" which is celebrated at sunset on Saturday. There is no way to get from 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon to Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. and call it three days and three nights when Jesus was in the grave. Just ask the people who are responsible to change ALL of the church decorations from a stark and empty church on Friday afternoon to one that is full of white, gold, yellow cloth with hundreds of flowers, freshwater for baptisms, taper candles with wax catchers all placed, an "easter fire" ready with wood stacked outside, and so much more if they had THREE DAYS to get ready from Friday night to Saturday night! Twenty-four hours is NOT three days and three nights.
Is there an explanation for this? Yes. Was Jesus really crucified on Friday? This is very unlikely. There was a Sabbath in the equation so it had to be Friday didn't it? There were two Sabbaths and that is what causes the confusion.
Come to Bible Enrichment tonight, April 27, 2021, to hear an explanation for this confusion. It will help you be able to explain the obvious when someone else looks you in the face and says they can't believe the "easter story" because even "the three days thing" is off.
We will discuss the difference between a historical account and a celebration of that account.
Join us interactively on Skype: https://join.skype.com/q4QyQ4G4Risu You do not need a Skype account to use the Skype meeting. Or, watch the session on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lgbtqsia2ssByYou/ The materials for the session will be on our website at about 6:00 p.m. @ http://www.rayofhopechurch.com/BibleEnrichment.htm The session will run from 6:30 to 8:00 tonight