Buford Presbyterian Church

It's a pleasure to welcome you to the Buford Presbyterian Church website. Whether member, friend, or visitor - we hope that this site reflects the friendly and open nature of our congregation. If you are searching for a church home, we'd like you to know that there's a special place here just for you.   Our Church is...

• A Place for Worship. The primary reason we meet together is to focus our attention on God, giving Him our worship and receiving His blessing and inspiration. Each of these occasions is a special time of spiritual refreshment.
• A Place for Learning. To us, studying the Bible is vital because it not only instructs us intellectually, but also guides us spiritually. We believe it and accept it as God's Word to us, a Book that is alive and relevant to life today. Learning its truths is a thrilling adventure.
• A Place for Enrichment. For every person at every age level we offer a wealth of opportunities - special programs and ministries for children, youth, and adults which fill the church calendar. You can be sure that in this kaleidoscope of activities there's more than one place where you can be personally enriched.
• A Place for Friendship. Nothing quite compares to the joy of Christian friendship. That's why we make it a priority to build lasting bonds between the members of our church family - bonds of concern and genuine commitment to one another.
• A Place for Service. Just as Jesus Christ came "not to be ministered unto, but to minister..." we accept our responsibility to reach out in service to others. This applies both within the church family and outside our fellowship.

Best of all, this circle of care is ever-widening. We'd love it to include you too.

Quote for the Week:
“I believe in the kingdom come when all the colors will bleed into one.” ---Bono

Inspiration for the Week:
The earliest generation of Christians, all of whom were converts from Judaism, worried about what should be done regarding the Gentiles (everyone else). Actually, most of them did little worrying because they felt fairly certain as to what should be done regarding Gentiles. The answer was: absolutely nothing. 

Most of those earliest believers felt God was their God, the God of Abraham and Sarah and Moses and Miriam but not the God of anyone whose birthright fell outside the tribes of Israel. Gentiles were “cut off” from God’s grace and mercy because they were not of the chosen people. 

This Sunday we will be reflecting a bit on the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch from Acts 8:26-40. As an Ethiopian, he was outside the fold but had a curiosity about the faith. He was reading and pondering scripture one day when he had a fateful encounter with the apostle Philip. In the end, the eunuch received baptism, but it was likely not a thing Philip did without much fear and trembling. After all, the eunuch was not a child of Israel, and yet, the Book of Acts tells us, he was a child of God. As we gather around the Communion Table this Sunday, may we embrace that which we have in common as Christ’s disciples more than what keeps us separate from each other. After all, the familiar sacramental invitation claims that people will come from east and west and north and south to sit at table in God’s kingdom

Prayer for the Week:
“Lord, lead all that belong to you to live the faith of their own baptism, and bring them out of narrowness into the openness of your truth, so that they may seek what unites and abandon what divides; so that they may truthfully make their own the prayer of their Lord and Savior; that they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in him and he in you, that they may also be one in you and in your Son through the Holy Spirit, so that the world may believe that you have sent Christ. AMEN.” ---Kornelis Miskotte (1894-1976)

From the Pastor's Desk

Have you ever thought of hospitality as a spiritual gift? People sometimes characterize particular congregations as friendly or not-so-friendly, and that is really a way of saying they either do or don’t show forth hospitality in dealing with others, especially strangers in their midst. 

In the Book of Hebrews, an admonition is given that states: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2) I think our Judeo-Christian heritage is one that consistently encourages us to be hospitable because we mirror the welcoming arms of God when we act in such ways. I am aware that I have not always acted as charitably as I should have with strangers in my midst. There have been times I was busy or preoccupied and dealt with indigent, needy people who come to the church seeking assistance in ways that fell well short of God’s glory. For such uncharitable acts, I pray God’s forgiveness. Most of us can think of instances in our lives of times when we lacked appropriate Christian hospitality if we reflect upon it with honesty. 

One of the things I most appreciate about our congregation is that we are an “open system.” That is to say, our doors are open and wide enough for lots of other folks to come inside and feel the welcome of God’s people. We have a surprising amount of diversity for a congregation our size, and it is fun for me to see such a melting pot of Christian pilgrims all gathered in one place and seeking to bring glory to God. I pray that we never lose this gift of hospitality God has given us. May there always be room for someone else to come and share with us in church life as we worship and study and serve together. Look around you when you’re here, and see who is there. You never know who you may be sharing a pew with for “some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Peace in Christ,
Pastor Corey