The Rooster Crows LPCC Podcast

In Indulgences and Grace, preached on Reformation Sunday, Rev. Stephen Milton revisits Martin Luther’s protest against the sale of indulgences—a system that turned forgiveness into a transaction to fund St. Peter’s Basilica. Drawing on Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Rev. Milton contrasts prideful religion with humble repentance, reminding us that God’s grace cannot be bought or earned—it is freely given. From Luther’s challenge to church corruption to the United Church’s own repentance for past harms, Milton traces how faith deepens when it admits its failings and turns toward grace. True reformation, he concludes, comes not from defending our righteousness but from embracing God’s love and extending it to others with humility and compassion.

In Command-Meant, Rev. Stephen Milton explores how God’s laws—far from being restrictive—are meant to give life meaning and depth. Drawing parallels between modern debates over speed cameras and the ancient psalmist’s joy in following God’s commandments, he contrasts external enforcement with the inner freedom that comes from self-discipline. The Hebrew word mitzvah, often translated as “commandment,” carries a richer sense: a divine guideline that benefits both the individual and the community. Rev. Milton shows how Jesus distilled 613 laws into two—love God and love your neighbour—transforming obedience into relationship. In a world suspicious of limits, the sermon reminds us that slowing down, showing care, and choosing love freely lead not to less life, but to more.

In Thank You, preached on Thanksgiving Sunday, Rev. Stephen Milton explores the healing power of gratitude through the story of the ten lepers. Only one—a Samaritan outsider—returns to thank Jesus, crossing social, religious, and physical borders in his act of faith. Rev. Milton contrasts this ancient gratitude with today’s culture of ratings and transactions, where appreciation is often reduced to stars and reviews. True gratitude, he reminds us, is not about judgment or worth but about humility and connection—a soul-level recognition of grace freely given. Drawing on examples from handwritten thank-you notes to a restaurant covered in messages of thanks, Milton shows how gratitude can dissolve boundaries, foster generosity, and make us whole in spirit. In a divided world, he calls us to rediscover gratitude as a sacred practice that heals both giver and receiver.

In Uprooted, Rev. Stephen Milton explores how faith helps us confront our deepest bitterness and pride. Reflecting on Jesus’ teaching that even faith the size of a mustard seed can uproot a sycamine tree, he reveals how this image symbolizes our ability—with God’s help—to release resentment that has sunk deep roots in our hearts. Through the humble metaphor of an apple, Rev. Milton invites us to see creation’s complexity as a reflection of God’s own subtle, multi-dimensional nature. Against the rise of simplistic, divisive versions of Christianity, the sermon calls believers to embrace nuance, humility, and forgiveness. True faith, Milton suggests, is not about claiming superiority, but about asking God to transform bitterness into compassion—so we can help others when they stumble and become, in turn, the apple of God’s eye.

In That Time Jesus Told a Joke, Rev. Stephen Milton unpacks one of Jesus’ strangest parables—the tale of a lazy, dishonest manager who cooks the books and somehow earns praise. Rather than glorifying fraud, Jesus uses satire to poke fun at religious leaders who obsess over piety while ignoring God’s abundance. Drawing on the image of olive trees producing thousands of extra fruits and the Buddhist idea of “interbeing,” Rev. Milton shows that creation itself is built on generosity and connection. The parable invites us to laugh at our pretensions and embrace God’s call to share freely, delighting in a world made for joy and community.

In Worship or Praise?, Rev. Stephen Milton traces how Christianity’s suspicion of animals—from the golden calf story to medieval theology—helped shape a worldview that treats creatures as soulless resources for human use. Drawing on Indigenous teachings and scripture, he contrasts this with traditions that see animals as conscious, spiritual beings interconnected with all life. In an age of climate crisis, Rev. Milton challenges us to move beyond domination toward reverence: not to worship animals as gods, but to praise them as neighbours who share God’s spirit and whose flourishing is bound up with our own.

In Seeing Clearly, Rev. Stephen Milton reflects on Paul’s short letter to Philemon, written unusually in Paul’s own hand to plead for the freedom of a slave named Onesimus. Drawing on insights from Candida Moss’ God’s Ghostwriters, Rev. Milton explores how enslaved scribes may have preserved much of the New Testament itself, making “nobodies” essential to the gospel story. Paul challenges Philemon to move beyond obedience to rules and instead act from love—seeing Onesimus not as property, but as a brother. In the same way, Rev. Milton invites us to put on “ethical eyeglasses,” to see strangers as family, and to let compassion, not command, guide our choices in a world where public good often depends on personal will.

In Meditating on Manners, Rev. Roberta Howey takes a playful look at Jesus’ surprisingly sassy lesson on etiquette. While manners may seem trivial, they shape how we communicate respect, status, and belonging. In Jesus’ time, seating arrangements at a banquet reinforced rigid hierarchies—but he flips the script, urging humility and hospitality toward the marginalized. Rev. Howey reminds us that Christians need not throw out the “rulebook” entirely, but we are called to rewrite it: to treat every person with dignity, to mean what we say, and to embody God’s love in both word and action.

In The Problems of Prophets, Rev. Roberta Howey reflects on Jeremiah’s reluctant call to speak truth to power—and the heavy cost of doing so. Like a scientist in a disaster movie whose warnings go unheeded, Jeremiah faced mockery, persecution, and even violence for proclaiming that Israel had forsaken its covenant with God. Yet God promised to be with him, not to spare him from struggle, but to sustain him through it. Rev. Howey draws connections to modern prophets like Martin Luther King Jr. and Greta Thunberg, who also confront the powerful with inconvenient truths. This sermon challenges us to listen for God’s voice in those who call us to justice, and to resist the temptation to silence them when their words are hard to hear.

In Pulling an All-Nighter, Rev. Roberta Howey reflects on the awe-inspiring Book of Kells—an illuminated Gospel painstakingly created by monks who poured decades of vigilance and devotion into every page. Their work, born not of fear but of love, becomes a living vigil: a way of staying awake to God’s presence in beauty, art, and hope. Drawing on Jesus’ call to “keep watch,” this sermon invites us to shift our vigilance from threats alone to the sparks of divine love around us. To keep awake, Rev. Howey reminds us, is to be ready to welcome God at any hour, and to see the Spirit glittering even in the darkest night.

In The Blueprints, Rev. Roberta Howey explores how the United Church of Canada was shaped not by dramatic upheaval, but by patient, faithful compromise. From the creation of the Moderator role to the balance between local autonomy and national vision, our structure reflects trust in both God and one another. Just as Abraham and Sarah trusted in God’s covenant without knowing the outcome, so too every Moderator steps into a sacred covenant—part pastor, part prophet, part ambassador—helping the church discern where God is leading next.

In this week’s sermon, True Riches, Rev. Stephen Milton explores the deeper meaning of wealth through Jesus’ parable of the rich fool and a forgotten story from the Acts of Thomas. When a king commissions a palace, Thomas gives the money to the poor instead—claiming the real palace is being built in heaven. Like the farmer who hoards his harvest only to die that night, both stories challenge the illusion that we own what we’ve been given. Rev. Milton reminds us that true riches aren’t stored in barns or banks, but in how we share with others. In a world obsessed with more, Jesus calls us to simplicity, generosity, and trust in God’s abundance.

In The Sacrifice, Rev. Stephen Milton tackles one of the most troubling stories in the Bible: God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. How can such a horrifying test be part of a faith rooted in love? This sermon explores the difficult demands of discipleship, from Abraham’s silent obedience to the radical courage of Jesus and modern-day figures like Martin Luther King Jr. Far from a comfortable faith, we are invited into one that asks us to walk into fire—against injustice, racism, and complacency. Real faith, Rev. Milton reminds us, isn’t always easy—but it is transformative.

In this week’s sermon, Who Are You?, Rev. Stephen Milton reflects on Abraham’s encounter with three mysterious strangers—figures who turn out to be divine messengers. Through radical hospitality, Abraham welcomes what he cannot yet recognize: the presence of God. Drawing on scripture and stories from Mother Teresa to modern-day homelessness, Rev. Milton explores how divinity is often disguised, especially in those the world overlooks. The sermon challenges us to look again at the stranger, and to remember that God may be sitting right across the table.

In this week’s sermon, Hagar’s Hope, Rev. Stephen Milton explores the story of Hagar, an enslaved woman cast out while pregnant with Abram’s child. Drawing connections to modern issues like declining birth rates, immigration, and reproductive rights, he shows how the politics of birth still marginalize the vulnerable. Yet in the wilderness, Hagar encounters God and becomes the first person in scripture to name the divine. Her story reveals a radical truth: God sees and blesses the outcast, calling us to do the same.

In this week’s sermon, Abraham Leaves Home, Rev. Stephen Milton reflects on the moment when God calls Abraham to leave everything familiar and journey into the unknown. With no miracles, no signs, and no clear reason why he was chosen, Abraham responds with pure trust—faith in a voice he has never heard before. Rev. Milton explores how this act of faith, rooted not in proof but in promise, becomes foundational for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Drawing connections between Abram’s story and our own struggles with uncertainty, identity, and self-worth, the sermon highlights how God’s grace often arrives unearned, inviting us to trust even when we feel unqualified. As Paul later affirms, it was faith—not ritual or rule-following—that made Abram righteous. In a world still full of unknown paths, the sermon calls us to step forward like Abraham, trusting in a God who believes in us first.

In this week’s sermon, Male and Female and…, Rev. Stephen Milton challenges rigid interpretations of gender through the lens of scripture, hospitality, and compassion. Preached on Pride Sunday, the message begins with Jesus rebuking his disciples for wanting to call down fire on an inhospitable Samaritan village—an echo of the destruction of Sodom, often misused to condemn queer people. Rev. Milton reclaims the Sodom story as one about violent inhospitality, not sexuality, and draws a parallel to today’s climate of exclusion fueled by attacks on diversity and trans rights. Highlighting lesser-known biblical insights—from Jesus’ acceptance of eunuchs to the Talmud’s recognition of seven genders—he underscores that the Bible has room for more than binary thinking. As cultural backlash threatens DEI efforts and Pride celebrations, the sermon calls the Church to emulate Christ’s example: to reject fear, extend hospitality, and affirm the sacred worth of all people, regardless of gender identity or orientation.

In this week’s sermon, Improvising the Kingdom, Roberta reflects on Paul’s vision of a church built on radical equality, as found in Galatians 3:23–28. Drawing a humorous parallel to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, she questions the long-term authority of Paul’s improvised letters, written with the belief that Jesus’ return was imminent. The sermon challenges the Church to distinguish between the letter and the spirit of the law, especially in light of historic and ongoing injustices like the treatment of Indigenous peoples. Through examples such as hospital smudging ceremonies and the evolving work of the United Church of Canada, Roberta urges us to build a more compassionate, inclusive faith—one that honors the divine in every person and reflects Christ’s love through care, flexibility, and justice.

In this week's sermon, Perseverance, Rev. Stephen Milton explores how hardship can shape character and deepen hope, drawing on Paul’s words in Romans 5:1–8. Delivered on Father’s Day and Trinity Sunday, the sermon traces the evolution of fatherhood—from distant authority figures to emotionally present caregivers—and warns against modern political movements that idolize authoritarian “father figures.” Connecting the struggles of early Christians under Roman rule to today’s resistance to injustice, Rev. Milton calls us to persevere in faith, stand for compassion, and trust in a God whose love transcends fear and violence.

In this week's sermon, The Vote,  Rev. Roberta Howey reflects on Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would guide his followers after his departure, urging them to discern with love, not fear. Drawing from John 14:23–29, the sermon traces the United Church of Canada’s historic decision in 1988 to allow the ordination of openly gay and lesbian ministers. It recounts the courageous risks taken, the fierce backlash that followed, and the enduring call to love in the face of fear. This sermon reminds us that true discipleship often means leaning into the Spirit, embracing change, and taking bold steps toward justice—even when the path is uncertain.