The Rooster Crows LPCC Podcast

We invite you to a rare dramatic reading of John Milton’s poem Paradise Regained. The setting is the desert where Jesus has been fasting for forty days. Satan appears to tempt Jesus to stop being loyal to God. Satan beckons Jesus to the dark side - give in to pleasures of the flesh, and to temptations of power and glory. It's a dramatic story of the dangers of tyranny, of leaders without ethics -...

Today's podcast features an interview with Robert Rayner, who believes that Toronto can help ease its homelessness crisis by providing personal cabins for people who prefer to live in encampments.

Rev. Stephen Milton examines how Christian theology, scripture, and history have contributed to centuries of persecution and marginalization of Jewish people. Tracing this legacy from the Crusades and medieval economic restrictions to New Testament interpretations shaped by the destruction of Jerusalem, he shows how misunderstandings about Jesus, the Messiah, and Judaism hardened into harmful doct...

In The Bonds of War, preached for Remembrance Day, Rev. Roberta reflects on the complex legacy of faith in times of conflict—grief for the fallen, anger at human violence, and hope for peace. Tracing the United Church’s roots through the Methodist and wartime traditions, she explores how churches wrestled with patriotism, pacifism, and conscience during both World Wars. From chaplains on the front...

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...

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 “commandme...

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 t...

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 s...

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...

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 climat...

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...

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 Ch...

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 su...

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...

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 ev...

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 i...

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...

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, es...

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 scri...

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...

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. Milto...

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...

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 figure...

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 f...

In this week's sermon, Getting it Wrong, Rev. Stephen Milton explores how God often works through our failed plans and unexpected turns. Reflecting on Peter’s vision that broke Jewish food taboos to spread the gospel to Gentiles, he draws a parallel to Lawrence Park’s own bold experiment with Soul Table. Though the initiative didn’t go as hoped, surprising blessings followed. This sermon invites u...