The Rooster Crows LPCC Podcast

In this week's sermon, Going Deeper, Rev. Stephen Milton explores the profound spiritual depth of Psalm 23, moving beyond its comforting words to uncover its deeper message for the soul. Reflecting on the image of God as shepherd and the soul as the beloved sheep, he invites us to reconnect with the sacred part of ourselves that remains rooted in divine presence—even through life’s darkest valleys...

In this week's sermon, Feed My Sheep, Rev. Stephen Milton reflects on Jesus' call to selfless leadership through Peter's redemption and recommissioning. Drawing parallels to today’s political climate, he challenges us to embrace a servant-hearted model of leadership that feeds others—spiritually and physically—with compassion and love.

This week, Rev. Stephen Milton reflects on a beautiful change the Gospel of Luke makes to the Palm Sunday story, one that looks at how to make peace.

Rev. Stephen Milton meditates on the relationship between Christianity and those living in poverty, and how that relationship is often forgotten in practice.

Reimagining God's Justice. In this week's sermon, Rev. Stephen Milton challenges the idea that disasters and tragedies are punishments from God, exploring how Jesus redefines divine justice and mercy. Through the parable of the fig tree, he invites us to see God not as a punisher, but as a patient gardener, nurturing us to grow, thrive, and bear fruit in a world that desperately needs love and com...

This week's sermon tells the story of the real Saint Patrick behind the legends. His struggles may help us understand what Canadians should do faced by threats to our national sovreignty.

Resisting the Call to Give Up. In this week's sermon, Rev. Roberta Howey reflects on the perseverance of women who fought for their place in politics and the church, despite opposition. Drawing on the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, the sermon challenges us to recognize discouragement for what it is and find strength in God's love to keep moving forward.

Coping with American threats to Canada. In this week's sermon, Rev. Stephen Milton talks about how Canadians are feeling at a loss due to threats to Canada's sovereignty by the United States. He draws on the scripture passage in the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus is transfigured on the mountain top to suggest how we can find the strength to deals with our current uncertain circumstances.

This week’s podcast features a sermon by Rev. Stephen Milton about Jesus’ instruction to love our enemies. He draws on the work of W.E.B. Dubois, an early African American sociologist who coined the term “double consciousness.” This sermon has been re-recorded for this podcast.  Peace, and happy Sunday. Stephen

This week's podcast features a sermon by Rev. Stephen Milton that draws on the wisdom of early African American theologian Howard Thurman. How can Jesus say that the poor will inherit the Kingdom of God, and that those who weep will laugh? Even more puzzling, why does Jesus predict the rich will become poor? Thurman's ideas help untangle the mystery, drawing on the African American experience. The...

The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican has the world's most famous Christian images, but do they still matter? That's what Canadian author Jeannie Marshall has been thinking about for the past 20 years, since she moved to Rome. Join us for a fascinating personal meditation on how these 500 year old images can still be meaningful, even in our secular culture.  To listen to the podcast, click here [ put...

In our latest podcast we tell the amazing story of the formation of Canada's first union for the homeless. The Toronto Underhoused and Homeless Union (TUHU) was created just over a year ago. Rev. Stephen Milton talks to two of the union's founding members, Rev. Angie Hocking and an African refugee, who has asked to be called Iya. It's a fascinating story of the unexpected formation of the union, a...

Rev. Roberta speaks to Tim Kennedy and Jeanette Unger, chaplains with the Ecumenical Chaplaincy at U of T, who are a part of the critical piece of spiritual care for young adults. "Each year, thousands of students start at universities and colleges across Canada. Many are away from home, family and friends, and are learning who they are as adults for the first time. It can be a stage of both real...

Stay out! : How Canada and the U.S. are locking out refugees.   Canadians take pride in being a country that welcomes refugees, but this year, Canada and the US revised the Safe Third Country agreement making  it harder than ever for refugees to get in without an invitation. To find out what's going on, we talk to experts in Toronto, Texas and Halifax to learn how the new rules work, and what they...

For as long as humans have been around, there have been people that we would identify today as a part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Cultures and histories from across time and space have shown people resisting oppression, creating families and communities, exploring the depths of human emotion through arts, and sharing stories.  The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, now called the ArQuives, has work...

In this edition of the Rooster Crows Podcast, Rev. Stephen Milton poses a simple question: if a healthy person were forced to live on the streets tomorrow, what would happen to their health? Stephen interviews Roxie Danielson, a street nurse in Toronto who works with people who are experiencing homelessness. Roxie has been doing this work for nine years, and used to sit on the steering committee f...

Rev. Roberta speaks with Joseph Lauren of Restorative Justice Housing Ontario (RJHO) who assists former prisoners by providing safe, affordable housing. This gives them the stable foundation they need to become positive members of their communities. It will also lead to lower rates of re-offence and safer neighbourhoods, which helps the city as a whole.  In Canada, when someone is no longer incarc...

In our final podcast of the year, we feature some of the weird backstories behind Christmas traditions. Why did kids have to go on strike to get  Christmas vacations? Who was the real Saint Nicholas?  If you haven't been following Stephen's daily emails about Christmas, this is a good way to catch up, and get some killer trivia for Christmas dinner. 

In this episode of our podcast we're talking about contemplative Christianity - what is it, where did it come from, and why don't many people know about it? We talk to Justin Coutts of NewEdenMinistry.com, an online contemplative community hosted from Manitoulin Island. Justin and Rev. Stephen talk about the ancient roots of this form of Christianity, which focuses on meditation and prayer, rather...

In a special Halloween edition of the Rooster Crows, Stephen and Roberta dive into some ghost stories that come from United Churches across the country. Why do so many churches have ghosts? What does the UCC think about ghosts? And why are they so focused on the pipe organ?

This episode we are continuing our discussions around death, specifically Medical Assistance in Dying, with two important voices. Heather Morgan is a disability advocate and shares her concerns and hopes around MAiD as the disability community contends on health care and MAiD. Anne Simmonds is one of the leading voices on dying and grieving in the United Church of Canada, having published articles...

Talking about death is always an awkward subject for us in today's society. There are hundreds of things we would rather talk about. But that is the struggle with death; the conversations are never convenient and always incredibly important. Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is one such conversation that we should have. It is an increasingly common option for Canadians, at the same time that our...

Wednesday, August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day.   In our latest podcast, Rev. Milton talks to Missy McLean from "Moms Stop the Harm" about how attitudes about drug addiction and current laws have fed a crisis that kills 21 people a day in Canada. Even the words we use, such as "overdose" and "drug addict" contribute to the problem. Take a listen to see this issue from another more...

Welcome to The Rooster Crows, brought to you by Lawrence Park Community Church. Today, we are with Camp Scugog! It is a special place that holds a piece of our hearts in the LPCC community, and we hope to share why that is with you all right now. Summer camps are a major part of the ministry of the United Church of Canada. The UCC currently runs over 50 camps across Canada, with a huge range in ag...

Welcome to the Rooster crows, brought to you by Lawrence Park Community Church. This week, we are doing a special Lenten episode. Rev. Stephen Milton of LPCC has been taking us all on a journey around lent and Easter traditions. These have ranged from tiny tidbits to the fabric of our societies themselves. Today Rev. Stephen Milton and Rev. Roberta Howey explore just a few of these traditions.