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.