Why the Rooster?

Many people who drop by our website or drive by our building wonder: "What's up with the rooster?"

Good question.

The first and simplest answer is: The rooster is there primarily so you will ask "What's up with the rooster?" It's not our "official symbol" or anything. But it's an eye-catcher and a conversation-starter. It's also a not-so-subtle way to let you know that something different is going on in this congregation. We take our faith seriously, but we try not to take ourselves too seriously. There's a giant metal crayola-colored rooster out front, for God's sake. His name is Grace. (Even roosters don't have to conform to gender stereotypes.) 

But there's more to it than merely marketing. A rooster is a living wake-up call, and we believe the faith of Jesus is meant to be a wake-up call, as well. The Gospel is a call to wake up to both hard truth and amazing grace, to the reality of who we are and the possibility of who we can be. It's a call to act according to God's purposes of justice, peace, and compassion here and now "on earth as it is in heaven." 

Coincidently (?), just after the rooster arrived in our congregation, Rev. Mary Luti, a friend in the United Church of Christ, posted this poem on her insightful blog, www.sicutlocutusest.com, perfectly communicating what the rooster means to us here at United Christian Church of Austin: 

Gallicantu [Matthew 26:74-76]

O crow before the day begins
and make me sorry for my sins,
Gallicantu!

O strut and screech and ruff your wings
so I won’t get away with things,
Gallicantu!

O startle me post-oath and lie
and lend me grace to grieve and sigh,
Gallicantu!

Sing loud the coming liberty;
O Christ the Rooster, waken me,
Gallicantu!