John Hebenton's Podcast

John explores some of the history of Christ the King, and reflects on what it might mean using Matthews last block of teaching on sheep and goats. He finishes by showing hwat he means by using his submission to the City Council regarding Easter Sunday Trading

Bonnie Hebenton is our guest preacher this week. She explores what anglican liturgy is and where it comes from. Liturgy is life! It is where we live out who we are meant to be. Listen as Bonnie explores the scripture our liturgy is based on and if we are willing, what it might do for us.

Cliff and Clark, the two Wardens, offer some thoughts about our need for more people to be involved in our ministry and how our finances are going. John finishes by offering a reflection based on the gospel reading Matthew 25:1-13, offering a reflection on why I am Franciscan, and the importance of the annual report – reflecting on how I respond to God’s infinite love -> including community commitment, ministry, and money

This is part of a larger sermon offered for people to thing about how they are stewards of all God has given them and their response in terms of time and money. In this reflection I explore why I am Franciscan, and the importance of the annual report in light of that – reflecting on how I respond to God’s infinite love -> including community commitment, ministry, and money

Graham Cameron talks about what All Hallows Eve, All Saints and All Souls are about. He goes on to talk about the invasion of Parihaka Village on November 5th 1881 and what this might offer us this and future all saints commemorations

On this Reformation Sunday I want to explore some of the elements that have helped re-form me over the last 30 years. I also want to suggest that our gospel today gives us hints as to how we might as a church be re-formed as we move into our own time of ReformationI finish by invite people to prayerfully consider who or what has helped them re-form ?

John explores how the three stories Jesus tells in answer to the question “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” are not separate unrelated stories, but build on each other. When we read them in this way they offer us another way of hearing today's story as a critique of a common way of understanding the kingdom of heaven. It all goes back to how we end the story about the vineyardHe then invites people to reflect on the ending where the landowner forgives the tenants rather than punishing them.

How comfortable are we with the ending the Chief Priests and leading Pharisees offer to finish Jesus story about the vineyard? What does this reveal about how they and we see God? How might we finish the same story?

Today we celebrate two things- First is crazy saint of Assisi – Francis; and how when he embraced lady Poverty allowed him to see the goodness of God in all things and all people and all creation.- Second is the amazing work of SPCA -> today give freely to support this work

John wrestles with Romans 1:26-27 which on the face of it condemns homosexuality. By putting that verse back – into the social context and the letter it comes from, John explores what Paul might really have been saying as an example of how to keep working with Paul.In doing so he hopes people will be more informed and imaginative in how they approach scripture. This is our book. It shapes who we are,. We can't ignore it, so lets wrestle

John summarizes Romans and Paul so far and explores the “How to live this out” – which involves expanding into next weeks reading, which includes our passage/whakataukiJohn invites people to reflect on how they live out Paul's framework of living in the fulfilled covenant

To explore the gift of Pauls thinking to us in Romans 11 – to keep us humble; to help us know that it is not about us and the rewards we get; and to help keep us open, generous and compassionate to all people, all people – even those on our “least favourite” list, just as God the mysterious is open and generous and compassionate to all people – because does not have a least favourite list. Trumps America (as opposed to the USA) warns us of what happens when we don’t take this gift seriously.

John explores the importance of Romans 9 – 11 for our trust in God’s faithfulness and asks “do we really trust God’s faithfulness? What stops us really trusting?

To ask •What is the Kingdom of Heaven?•How would you describe the Reign of Heaven from your experience of it? •What images or stories would you tell?and explore the response in light of Pauls image of God’s faithfulness and Matthews image of subversion

Use Matthew and Paul to explore how our roots are buried in the faithfulness of God to the covenant - the promise to restore humanity and renew creation through God’s people. When we are faithful to this (righteous) we find life

This is John's sermon from the 9th July. In it John explores Paul’s letter to the Romans by looking at the summary in Romans 1: 16-17. Using this he teases out what the God’s righteousness looks like, what faith looks like and what the Gospel of God might be.In response he invites people to reflect on what stories define their lives, and how the gospel of God might change all that for them.

John offers an introduction to St. Paul, the radical, and the letter attributed to him by way of preparing to spend the next few weeks looking at Paul's great letter to the churches in Rome

John invites people to explore what harvest festival is about, both in terms of giving thanks, acknowledging God's generosity, and at Matariki, linking it with climate change and land and water degradation. John then invites people to reflect on what it is the are giving thanks for, and to be inspired to generously offer more of themselves

Bishop Andrew joined us for Trinity Sunday and to confirm two of our people. Here is his very short sermon

John explores the symbolism around the telling of Pentecost and what that offers us in our understanding and living of the Pentecost storyJohn teaches that the Spirit is the one to be trusted – not understood. When we trust and live the Spirit then we find life, then Spirit of Jesus offers life through us.– what do we trust the Spirit to do? -do we recognise the extraordinary acts of the spirit in our lives, in our world