I am a native of Pakistan and have been a student of various world religions since my early high school years.  I have a keen interest in Islam and Hinduism with particular emphasis on concepts of Life after Death and salvation of the souls of the faithful departed.  This curiosity has helped me to formulate an educated opinion which has and continues to aid my appreciation and respect for other faith traditions.

continue to read at reflection-on-inter-faith-marriage.doc

In a perfect world, nations do not go to war against one another.  In a perfect world, young men and women of the armed forces on both sides of the conflict do not make final journey to their hometowns in caskets.  In a perfect world, millions of people do not live and die with HIV/AIDS and leave their children orphans.  In a perfect world, old, decrepit and poor grand children do not have to raise their grand children.  In a perfect world, people are not discriminated because of their race, sexual orientation, and beliefs.  In a perfect world, every one lives in harmony with one another.

continue to read at in-a-perfect-world.doc

Freedom of the press and expression is one of the most prestigious and gracious right, inhabitants of the developed, free and democratic world enjoy.  This right allows a person to express himself without a fear of prejudice, bias, persecution and oppression from the state.  It also acknowledges the freedom of press and media to be free and report without partiality and fear of discrimination from the government or any other agency.  It is a noble and wonderful virtue which should be protected and appealed to with sensitivity. 

continue to read at mockery-in-the-name-of-freedom.doc

Micah 6:8 says, “God has showed you O mortal, what is Good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” 

One of the struggles of people of the Old Testament was to determine and discern the will of God for them.  In this chapter, we read tension and inquiry to bring the best to the house of God.    continue to read at  to-do-justice.doc

In the past two years, I have made four trips to Pakistan for personal reasons.  My father’s congregation has been extremely gracious and welcoming to me.  In every visit, they invited me to either conduct a mission or deliver a series of lectures on various topics of interest.  The experience has been invaluable in my own spiritual growth and has taught me several lessons in humility and faith.    continue to read at   they-walk-as-yet-by-faith.doc

From February 14-19, the Primates of the Anglican Communion met in Tanzania for their biennial meeting.  The meeting of the Primates of the communion is another instrument of communion.  Thirty Eight Primates, representing all geographic parts of the world gather together, on the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, to worship, Bible Study and deliberate on the current state of affairs in the communion and the world.    continue to read at  i-was-a-stranger.doc

Sermon for Lent 4 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Written by the Rev’d Karen Laldin
The recurring theme throughout the Lenten passages is repentance and forgiveness. As we journey toward Jerusalem it is very important that we not only hear the message that forgiveness is possible, but there is a sense of urgency that we really know what forgiveness can mean for us.

Jesus illustrates an important story with the telling of the Prodigal Son. It raises for us the important question as to which brother we identify with and why. In reality at different times in our lives it is likely that they have both represented us, but which one best represents us?

One brother is eager to experience the world, ready to give p the familiar and strike out on his own. He makes many mistakes, struggles through and finally comes to the realization that despite all that as gone wrong, despite all that he has done he can return to his father, he can go home and seek forgiveness and have a new beginning despite all that he has done wrong. The father, in this circumstance is overjoyed that the son has returned. He is eager to welcome him home and lets him know that despite all that has happened the father forgives this child and can celebrate his return.

continue reading at sermon-for-lent-4.doc

Sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent

March 4, 2007

Trust & Faith
Written by the Rev. G. H. R. Butler
 

Lent is a time when all Christians are called to examine their relationship with God.  Something we should be doing during the year, but for us, the penitential season of Lent calls us to make a deliberate effort to set aside time to specifically look at our faith; our trust in God, our trust in the promises that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made by his death and resurrection.

With the help of passages from both the Old and New Testaments, we can journey to the cross with Jesus, to once more try and gain a deeper understanding of why Jesus chose to die such a horrid death for us, so that hopefully we will gain a deeper comprehension of the significance of His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Remember, it is a journey in what faith means to each of us.  There are no simple answers, there are no right or wrong answers, each of us have our own relationship with God and our own understanding of what it means to be in relationship with God.  We gather as a community to support and uphold one another in that relationship.

continue reading at  sermon-lent-2.doc 

Sermon for the Third Sunday in Lent

Gospel    Luke 13:1-9
There is a story told about a man who borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. As he continued reading through the book he noticed this happened quite consistently.  The underlining he could easily understand as he himself agreed with some parts and questioned other parts that were underlined by his friend.  When he finished he returned the book to the owner, He thanked him for sharing the book with him and said but I do have a question for you, He said, I could understand the underlining and highlighting of parts of the book but the letters in the margin YBH I haven’t been able to figure out what they mean, would you mind telling me what it stands for? The owner replied that yes the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. However, he said the letters YBH stood for “Yes, but how?”   (Illustration from e-sermons.com)
 

Yes but how?  When we are given a situation or a task we often search for the details on how we can best accomplish the goal.  We like to make sure that we have all of the details to do the best that we can do with the task assigned.  When we apply the question, yes, but how, to our Christian lives however, we realize that the answer has been provided in the example of Jesus Christ. 

continue reading at yes-but-how.doc

I was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan.  Growing up in the city of fifteen million people was truly an exciting and enlightening privilege, one I would not change or replace.  The city of Karachi never slept, it was evident from the midnight cricket tournaments to all night food vendors and rush and excitement at the local merchants and beaches.  Karachi, being the formal capital city, had the sense of universality, it appreciated and received migrant workers of different ethnic origins and was the envy of the rest of Pakistan because of its excellence in commerce and trade, education and sports.

Continue to Read at  reflection-on-the-windsor-report.doc