John Hebenton's Podcast

Mixing and matching All Saints with the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, John retells the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus, trying to put it in context and to highlight some of the different ways it is translated. We then have a conversation around: What does Jesus see? How does Zacchaeus respond? What do we see? How do we respond?To mark All Saints we remember that we gather around Christ’s table with all the saints who have gone before, and our departed loved ones, and we give thanks for God’s faithfulness to them and us. He asks;-         What are you invited to see in the person or people you are remembering?-         How has God been faithful?The notes for this sermon can be read here

A conversation about how we read this story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (publican). In what ways do we trust that we are righteous? What does that even mean? Who do we regard with contempt if any? What does it mean to be humble?  Who is God in all of this? The sermon finishes with these questionsWhat limits do we seek to place on God? How do we seek to narrow the wideness of God’s mercy? What barriers do we put between those we deem unworthy and God of infinite compassion, generosity, justice?Notes for this sermon can be found here

There are some big questions raised in the story Jesus tells in Luke 18:1-8. Who is God? Does God answer prayers? What is prayer? What is faith? What is justice? John spends some time exploring why we might wrestle with these. He  finishes by inviting people to name the issues of justice around us today, to pray incessantly, and to be open to being called to engage in that work of justice making – for there is God.The notes for this sermon can be read here

Last Sunday we celebrated 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. He lived a life of penance - making room for God in creation, in the leper, in the Sultan. Each taught him about God- the amazing work of SPCA -> today give freely to support this work. John wonders what this might say to the climate crisis we face and asks who might we need to learn to make room for to be taught about GodThe sermon notes can be found here

On Sunday we were privileged to have Sophie Rapson, General Manager at the Merivale Community Centre here in Tauranga. Cliff Simons interviewed her about her work and how we might be able to help, beyond the $50 a month we give from Centrepoint. You can find out more about the Centre and their amazing work in the community at their website

John explores Luke 16:19-31, the story of poor beggar Lazarus and the very wealthy self consumed  rich man, using some of his encounters with beggars in America, and some of his other experiences lately. He asks•          What are the “gates” that separate us from those in need around us?•          Who is at our gate, and how are we seeing and responding to them?                                          

John explores why we might use te reo māori in our services, what we don’t enjoy, and what give us joy in using it.Then he used Luke 15:1-10   to suggest that in these stories Jesus is simply seeing each person, valuing who they are for all their faults, and inviting them to repent – to have a bigger mind and to see themselves as made in the image of God. And when they begin to do that there is joy. Who are we invited to see and value? What rejoicing are we invited to join?In this Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori how do we see and value ngā iwi o Aotearoa – in part by speaking te reo Maori, observing Māori tikanga, and joining our Tikanga Māori Partners in Te Haahi Mihinare in their efforts to Kia Kaha te reo Maori – allow the Māori language to grow in strength

Using Luke 14:25-33 John explores what might blind us to where God is at work in the world, and what stops us joining in that work. He finishes by asking of himself,  "what stops me taking Climate Change more seriously?"

John's final sermon which both summarises some of what has been talked about during this Season of Creation and uses the reading from Colossians 1:15-20 to explore the idea of the cosmos radiating with the presence of our creating and life giving God. How does all this help us as individuals, as a parish respond to climate change

John explores our experience of  storms both good and badwhile some are destructive they are important for cooling and feeding world-          teach us humility in face such forcebut also explore what it is like being in the start of a climate change stormmore than just what happening to climate-          symptomatic of bigger moral storm been engulfed in for decades if not longer moral storm fed by greed and consumerismThen use Pope Francis o   integral theologyo   need to break with logic of violence, exploitation and selfishnesso   same mind-set that fuels climate change led impoverishment of millions if not billions around worldo   poorest are most at risk of our changing climateo   Pope Francis reminds us that this is a moral and theological issue-          how do we respond?-          can feel like Jesus is once again asleep at back of boat while we drown-          only this time we helped make the storm -> Paul and new creation-          in storm of cross – God is suffering with us-          invited

John begins by recapping the previous weeks of The Season of Creation, and then builds on that by suggesting that"-          we are enmeshed and sustained by web of life – includes all animals great and small-          scripture invites us to see animals not as resources for our use but as our brothers and sisters-          God creates and gives life through all animals by their very existence-          they hold life in an intricate self-sustaining web-          we are damaging if not killing itJohn finishes by asking:-          in what ways does our longing for the coming of God’s justice and peace includes a world where ALL living creatures, great and small, have the resources to experience fullness of life. -          in what ways do we honour our brothers and sisters in our actions and attitudes? -          how we might live in ways that allows them to continue doing God’s work?The notes for this can be found here

Our preacher today was The Ven Dr Justine Allain Chapman, Archdeacon of Boston in the diocese of Lincoln, UK.   She will draw this morning on the resilience shown by St Peter.  Justine writes:"Coping with change and the difficulties of life is something we can’t avoid if we are to live well and become more compassionate to ourselves and those we live amongst. Our spiritual resources can be deepened and shared with greater understanding and we can become wiser, more mature.Resilience – coming through adversity strengthened - was the subject of my research into pastoral care and led to a doctorate and book, Resilient Pastors: the role of adversity in healing and growth (SPCK 2012) written when I was teaching ordinands and lay people as vice principal of the South East Institute for Theological Education in the UK. The research came out my experience of pastoral ministry as a curate and vicar in South London, as a Head of Religious Education in a multi-faith school in North London, and life itself.Having sh

John quickly recaps what the season of creation is all about, and then explores the theme for this week - The Oceans.The Oceans are important·         they inspire our awe and wonder of God·         the hold life in an intricate self-sustaining web·         we are damaging if not killing itJohn wonder,  for our survival, how we might nurture both the oceans and this web of life as: -         an act of devotion to God, Source of all Being; -         an expression of our being image bearers of God’s creating and life giving self.The notes for this sermon can be read here

John explores what the Season of Creation is and says it offers us an opportunity to reflect on our place in this world as people made in the image of God. This is God’s world, and we are invited to live richly - joyfully responding to the goodness and generosity of God. He then played Greta Thunberg’s speech to World Economic Forum in Davos on 23 January 2019.-         How do you respond?-         What questions do you have?-         What would you like to say in response?The notes for this sermon can be read here

Bonnie Hebenton talks about the 9 stars of Matariki,(Pleiades) and how their reappearance heralds the Maori new year. As we celebrate all that God has given us in the harvest, what do these myths offer us as we respond both to God's goodness and to the plight of our world as it groans under human made climate change?Bonnie's initial thoughts can be found here

Trinity Sunday is a time gain a bigger mind. John explores how our constructs and doctrines of God too often constrict us from living lives based on God’s justice, compassion and generosity. Instead we are invited to hold them very lightly and allow them to lead us into the mystery of God•          How does your understanding of God, three in one, shape who you are and your understanding of what your life is about?•          How might joining the dance of love change any of that?The notes for this sermon can be found here

John explores the Gospel of John’s version of the gifting of the Spirit and her role among us. In light of that he invites people to take one of the flowers from we made on Easter Sunday for our resurrection cross as a reminder that the Spirit is at work beside us and within us, reminding, comforting, teaching, encouraging, praying in us and with us.The movie you can hear is the movie on Pentecost from Vol. 11: Spreading The Good News from www.whatsinthebible.com.The notes from this sermon can be found at here

John asks what a resurrection life might look like, and finishes with story of Carol and butterfly effect from “How to be a Bad Christian: ... And a better human being” by Dave Tomlinson.You can read the notes from this sermon here.

John explores what is Jesus word – to ask how we hear this word, what it says to us and how we keep it.He goes on to say that for him this word is loving unity, where the Holy Spirit works to join us to each other and indwelling God in mutual love. This word invites us into the deep love between God the Father and Jesus out of which Jesus lives and continues to teach through the Holy Spirit.You can read the notes for this sermon here

John asks people what questions and ideas they bring to this readying.He goes on to explore two of his questions-          In what way is this new?-          How did Jesus live love?o   removing cloak authority, status, leadership, honour, powero   humbly washing the feet of those who deny, betray and dessert himLoving one another is not easy – as New Testament (Acts, Paul's writing) show or as history church showsfailure to live out this “simple commandment” has led directly to us to remembering what happened hereexplore examples of Henare Wiremu Taratoa and Heni Te Kiri Karamu as examples of the risk of loving as Christ loveshow we don’t do this stops us being a missional communityThe Notes for this sermon can be found here