Updated November 10, 2009

to:
Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ
The Church of Jesus Christ serving the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Straight, Queer, Community of Central New York.
The Church where everyone is welcome in the Name Of Jesus!


This is the Pastor's Page.
Meet Our Appointed Pastor

Rev. Brother Shawn Francis Benedict +

I believe in the eternal divinity of Christ. I believe Jesus is Lord and is truly present in the hearts of believers today through His Real Presence manifest in the Eucharist, the Holy Scriptures, the Sacraments, the Congregation of Believers, and the witness of the story of the Church, called Tradition.



Rev. Br. Benedict is a solemn professed monk of St. Benedict of Nursia having professed the vows of Obedience, Conversion Of Life, and Stability on June 15, 1996.


Additionally, as part of the Ordination Ceremony to the Ministerial Priesthood, and his profession of Benedictine Vows, Rev. Leo W. Mc Dermott, II retired the use of his secular birth name, and was given the name in religion, Brother Shawn Francis Benedict, O.S.B.
                                   
The spelling "Shawn" is the Hebrew spelling and means "God is gracious." The name "Francis" was given in honor of St. Francis of Assisi because St. Francis taught the Church to welcome all people, especially the people society finds undesirable. "Benedict" was given in honor of St. Benedict of Nursia who taught the Church how to pray in common worship as central to the Christian life, and how to redeem time (Ephesians 5:15-17; Col.4:5) with the liturgy of the hours - a revival of the singing of psalms "seven times a day" (Psalm 119:64) and "at midnight" (Psalm 119:62) and who also welcomed all people in the Name of Christ.

St. Benedict also gave the Church a tremendous gift with the vow of Stability which all "Benedictines" take. This vow says the Benedictine Christian will remain in the religious community where they took their final vows all the days of their life. They will not transfer from place to place as is the custom of most professional religious people. By staying, the Benedictine cannot hide his or her failings and sins. Rather they must live the full Christian life in the sight of all, asking forgiveness and seeking restoration like everyone else. The ministries of Francis and Benedict provide excellent examples for those who would lead the People Of God in ministry at Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

                         Rainbow line

~ PASTORAL CONTACT INFORMATION ~


Rev. Brother Benedict + Appointed Pastor Of Ray Of Hope Church +
                                                       (607) 280-0374
Email Pastor Benedict:  rayofhopechurch@aol.com

                         

A few words of wisdom for you from Brother Benedict:

Dear Friends,
It is with great joy that we welcome you to our website in the Name of Jesus. It is the message of God we proclaim through the Gospel of Jesus the Christ, and the powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit who is the Vicar Of Christ (John 16:7-15).

We have found His Word in the Bible to be the most wonderful news we have ever heard in our lives. Ray Of Hope Church is 100% Christian and Bible - based. We also celebrate with and welcome Messianic Jews who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah in these Last Days. We also welcome God's Chosen People, the Jewish People, the People Of Israel and we support the State Of Israel as God's plan for restoration of the Jewish People to their homeland and the rebuilding of their temple in these Last Days.

Our intense study of the Scriptures has revealed that God's Word absolutely does not condemn persons based on their sexuality, sexual orientation or gender expression. Salvation is based on faith and faith alone, not sexual orientation. We take our commission from Christ very seriously. Our main purpose is to proclaim God's Kingdom through the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the powerful minsitry of the Holy Spirit.

On a personal note:
It has taken me over 34 years to understand and reconcile the fact that God made me a gay man and the fact that I am a Bible - based Christian. The call on my personal life is to be a living witness that God does indeed call GLBTQ persons into an eternity of service to God. In the Name of Jesus I declare to you that you are saved by faith alone, and not kept out of God's Kingdom because of your sexuality, sexual orientation, gender expression or change of gender. We invite you to come and worship with us and study the Word of God with us and you will see for yourself and the truth will set you free as Jesus Promised in John 8:32.

Continue reading for more on this subject.

If there isn't all this emphasis on sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender issues in the Bible as claimed by so many "churches," then what is the central issue for God, creation and humanity?

The universal eternal good news of God is that God desires the full reconciliation and restoration of all creation (human, plant, animal, etc., all of creation) into the Universal Eternal Kingdom Of God. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their sins to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as through God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who know no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Peter proclaims Jesus is stalling His Second Coming as He waits for all to come to God's love. Peter wrote:
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

About all creation being saved too, Paul says;
"For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but becuase of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now." (Romans 8:18-22)

Jesus said: "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)

The restored creation in the Eternal Kingdom Of God is the subject of the entire Bible and is final proclamtion of the last two chapters of the Bible, Revelation chpts. 21 and 22.
"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away..." (Rev. 21:1) ... "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. The shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God fives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Then he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true.'" (Rev. 22:3-6)


Perhaps now you see why we say this wonderful news of God's Kingdom coming to us through Jesus is the source of our constant joy at Ray Of Hope. We have found His Word in the Bible to be the most wonderful news we have ever heard in our lives and every week we sing an anthem that says
"We love your Word oh Lord, for it set us free. We know the truth oh Lord, we are yours eternally. So we stand to hear your Word. We praise you for your Word. Alleluia for your Word, it heals our hearts, souls, and minds. For your Word, Alleluia, thank you Jesus."

In our day we hear many denominations and evangelists saying that if we are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, divorced, remarried, separated, have had children out of marriage, etc., etc., that we should be afraid of the Bible. One result is many people today claim to strongly dislike the Bible due, in part, to such "church" messages. We, on the other hand boldly proclaim to love the Word Of God! We find no basis at all anywhere in the Bible for the claims of condemnation mentioned above. Ray Of Hope Church is 100% Christian, and Bible - based, celebrating with the Jewish People, and Messianic Jews as well. Again, our intense study of the Scriptures has revealed that God's Word absolutely does not condemn persons based on their sexuality, sexual orientation or gender expression.

Salvation is based on faith and faith alone, not sexual orientation, or gender expression or status. We take our commission from Christ very seriously, to proclaim the true Word Of God as it is written. Our main purpose is therefore to proclaim God's Kingdom through the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the powerful minsitry of the Holy Spirit.

As I said above, on a personal note:
It has taken me over 34 years to understand and reconcile the fact that God made me a gay man and the fact that I am a Bible - based Christian. The call on my personal life is to be a living witness that God does indeed call GLBTQ persons into an eternity of service to God. In the Name of Jesus I declare to you that you are saved by faith alone, and not kept out of God's Kingdom because of your sexuality, sexual orientation, gender expression or change of gender. Come and worship with us and study the Word of God with us and you will see for yourself and the truth will set you free as Jesus Promised in John 8:32.

May Almighty God bless you: In the Name of God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Click your mouse here to continue to page two of our Pastor's Page to read other Pastor's Diary entries, read more about Religious Life options at Ray Of Hope, the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare, and much more.