John Hebenton's Podcast
453 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago -Sunday sermons preached at St. George's Anglican Church, Gate Pa, Tauranga. These are mostly based on the RCL Lectionary readings for that Sunday, with a few variations for our own lectionary in this Province, and special events here at Gate Pa.
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Episodes
Why does God send a Messiah? - and other interesting questions
December 06, 2022 01:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBJohn asks “Why does God send a messiah” How we answer that shapes how we read this story and what we are preparing for in Advent and what we are celebrating at Christmas. We then explore identity and repentance in light of this. Take time at the end of each day to give thanks for ways God brought peace and hope into your day, and to reflect on the roots that might help you to live peace. You can read the notes for this sermon here
Advent - What are we Waiting For
November 28, 2022 23:00 - 13 minutes - 9.58 MBThe Rev Debbie Garret talks about what the season of advent is about and uses the readings set for this Sunday: Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 to explore what this all means for us. What are we preparing for? What do we hope for this Advent?
Christ our King?
November 22, 2022 21:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBWhere does Christ the King Sunday come from, and in light of that discuss · What images or words of Christ’s kingship come to mind? · What is unhelpful about Christ the King? · Where do we look in the bible for our images of Christ the King? · What does Christ the King offer us? Christ the King is complicated and contested. It means different things to different people and can be used to justify some appalling things. One of those is the shameful story of the cr...
What are we Paying Attention To
November 15, 2022 22:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBJohn begins by reminding ourselves that the questions we ask, what we look for and how we look, determines what we see, even when we read scripture. What questions are being brought to the gospel, and what might Jesus in Luke be inviting us to see? In light of that what does apocalyptic language like Luke 21 invite us to pay attention to. In a world with so much seemingly going wrong what does Isaiah 65 offer. Where are the signs of life? You can read the notes for this here
All Souls - A Time to Grieve
November 09, 2022 23:00 - 8 minutes - 5.71 MBAs part of our service dedicated to remembering those who have died Andrea talks about the history of All Saints/All Souls, and Halloween. The price we pay for love is to grieve. May we love well and grieve well.
Feeling Uncomfortable with Zacchaeus
November 01, 2022 05:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBUsing Amy-Jill Levine's book “Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi” I want to retell the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus a couple of different ways to open up the option of more than one way of reading a these stories as parable. · How do we feel when we read this story? · Do we read verse 8 in the future tense, as something he will do in response to Jesus wanting to come to dinner, or in the present tense as a defence of against the grumbl...
Praying with Luke
October 24, 2022 23:00 - 11 minutes - 8.26 MBRev Deborah Garrett preaches about prayer using Luke 18: 9-14. She writes, ""Prayer is a prominent theme in Luke’s Gospel. Today’s Gospel lesson is about two men who go to the temple to pray. It is easy to work out who is the good guy and who is the bad guy in the story. Immediately the Pharisee is described as “standing by himself” as he prays, suggesting an aloofness from his unclean companion. In his prayer he talks about himself, asking God to confirm that he is not like other people....
Bothering Prayer
October 18, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 9.93 MBLuke 18:1-8 seems straight forward. It even says what it is about. But it turns out not so much. There is a lot going on here. Luke is asking how we encounter God – acting for justice in the world, or slow to act like the judge. And I wonder what the invitation to pray incessantly for justice really invites us into: a passive praying, an praying like the Negroes of Southern USA, or pestering active praying like Greta. So how do we pray in this time of peril? What do we pray for? And h...
Living Gratitude
October 14, 2022 20:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBJohn uses Karoline Lewis’s framework from the story of the 10 lepers to talk about living gratitude. He then uses that to show how Francis made room for God and lived gratitude. We finished by listening to “All Creatures Lament” by The Porter's Gate (feat. Fernando Ortega & Molly Parden) reflecting on how we are called to live gratitude. What are we being invited to be attentive to, so that we might turn back and praise God for who God is, that we might grow in gratitude to God and then go ...
Living Simply for Creation
September 05, 2022 20:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBJohn uses the Lambeth Call on Environment and Sustainable Development to introduce this year’s Season of Creation. He explores the burning bush logo and introduce some thoughts around living simply. What is it we are invited to listen to at this time? To help with listening to the earth, here is a link to the Earth examen https://seasonofcreation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021-SOC-Earth-Examen.pdf And I used this video made by TSSF made last year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmxnP...
Sea Sunday
August 16, 2022 00:00 - 12 minutes - 8.3 MBClark Houltram talked on Sunday about the importance of shipping to our city and country, and the work of the United Mission to Seafarers. The Mission to Seafarers is an international mission of the Anglican Church that cares for the practical and spiritual welfare of seafarers of all nationalities and faiths. There are 230 Mission sites around the world. Tauranga is one of those site.
Being Distracted from the Real Thing
July 17, 2022 21:00 - 11 minutes - 8.05 MBA sermon looking at the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), approaching it as being about what takes us away from what is important, rather than listening to Jesus being more important that offering hospitality. What might be the real things for us, and what distracts us? You can read the notes for this sermon here
Communities of Peace
July 08, 2022 03:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBWe live in a fractured and divided world with so many issues dividing us. This is in stark contrast with what Jesus gathered around him, and the kinds of communities Paul created. I wonder in the sermon what Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 and Paul's letter to the Galatians might offer us as an alternative to the way we seem to be spiraling down into bitter conflict, What do we as followers of the prince of peace, and as members of Christ's community of peace offer all this? You can read the notes...
Following Jesus fulfilling God’s will
June 28, 2022 03:00 - 11 minutes - 8 MBRev. Debbie Garrett says "In the reading from 2 Kings Elijah is preparing Elisha for his death. Elisha reiterates several times that he will never leave Elijah when Elijah is suddenly carried by a whirlwind into heaven. In the reading from Luke 9 Jesus is preparing his disciples for his death and ascension as he resolutely sets out for Jerusalem. On the journey three of his companions agree to follow him wherever he goes. The first one is put off when Jesus says, “Foxes have dens to live ...
Trinitarian Relating and a Harvest Festival
June 20, 2022 21:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBLast Sunday was Trinity Sunday. One Sunday a year to think about the Trinity, and then put it back on the shelf for another year. One important aspect of the Trinity is the relationship between the three persons – a relationship of mutuality, care, generosity, of ubuntu. This is where we meet God, and are invited to live this out in our relationships. How then does this help us celebrate harvest festival? What ways are we being invited to live in ways that allow creation and all involved in...
Trinity – An Invitation to Awe and Humility
June 14, 2022 02:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBAt its origins and at its best the doctrine of the Trinity is an invitation to join those early Christians reflecting both on our experience of God the Father in the Risen Son, made known in the Holy Spirit, and the story of Jesus and the whole of scripture and how that makes visible the ongoing presence of God in our midst and in our world. We are invited to respond with awe and humility to the invitation to be immersed in the relationship of love that is at the heart of God. So I wonder h...
Living a Spirit Blown Resurrection Life
June 08, 2022 23:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBJohn explores how Pentecost invites us, not so much to remember and celebrate a past event, but to reflect on what the recurring gifting of the Spirit sets in motion today. How do we experience the work of the Spirit in our life? What is it setting in motion? You can read the notes for this sermon here.
Camel Lurch Moments
May 31, 2022 02:00 - 13 minutes - 9.03 MBJohn uses his experience of camel riding on the hill where the ascension took place as a way into – John 17 and Jesus' prayer, Easter and resurrection, the Ascension. All these stories are camel lurch moments and should make us rethink everything. In light of that how does resurrection/ascension change our present, how does it shape how we live? how does it affect what we see as of utmost importance? The notes can be found here
Lydia, Love and Ukraine
May 24, 2022 03:00 - 9 minutes - 6.33 MBDebbie Garret looks at the story of Lydia in Acts, and then Jesus teaching around love in John's Gospel. How does that help us when faced with the kinds of things happening in our world like in Ukraine. How are we to love each other, our neighbours, and our enemies. Debbie writes, "Today’s reading from Acts 16: 9-15 features Lydia, a “God fearing” woman who was lived in Thyatira which was one of the Macedonian colonies. She was a wealthy businesswoman who dyed and sold high quality purple...
Love Each Other - It is as easy and hard as that!
May 17, 2022 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.31 MBJohn explores the story of John 13 to see how crunchy “love each other” is. Jesus loved Judas, Peter and all those male disciples who were about to betray him, deny being his follower, run away and hide. He washed their feet and shared his food. Love each other can be hard. And he uses the stories of Henare Wiremu Taratoa and Heni Te Kiri Karamu as examples of the risk of loving as Christ loves. Who do we struggle to love? who do we struggle to receive love from? How might we "love each ot...
How are we Shepherds now
May 10, 2022 00:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBJohn talks about the good shepherd tradition, and how the gospel writers in general and John in particular apply that to Jesus. This gives rise to 2 questions - how do we pay attention to Jesus the good shepherd that we might follow his voice? - how do we live out this tradition today? He then uses the story of Tabitha/Dorcas as an example of what it looks like to be a good shepherd now. You can read the notes for this sermon here
Resurrected Jesus - What Now?
May 03, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 8.2 MBA reflection retelling the story of the meal on the lakeside that honours the back story and maybe offers a way for people into the story to hear Jesus words to them. The notes for this can be found here
Being Coloured In
April 17, 2022 06:00 - 10 minutes - 7.07 MBWe watched the movie on resurrection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRCFgDTqYbY) What does it mean to be coloured in? Easter is about salvation. But what does that mean? John explores how the ancient church saw salvation as cleaving to God as those loved by God, as a child “cleaves” to her mother. How do we respond to that? with where are we in this story? We then reaffirmed our baptismal vows as a statement that our self identity and self worth is found in the God who is love, who love...
The Smell of Life
April 05, 2022 03:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBJohn explores the power of our senses to hold memories alive, some of which can be such a gift of life. He uses that as a way into the gospel reading for the 5th Sunday in Lent, John 12:1-8. This is the story of someone found by love, who offers love. In contrast we have Judas. Sadly Jesus’ response to Judas has been used down the centuries to justify continuing Judas’s cynical approach to the poor, cf Jesus or Deuteronomy. What gifts have sustained us. - What memories of life he...
Forgiving and Forgiven
March 29, 2022 21:00 - 10 minutes - 7.14 MBRev Debbie Garret explores the parable commonly entitled the Parable of the Prodigal Son, or the parable of the Loving Father. Debbie writes "In Monday morning’s prayer in the NZPB the Gospel reflection says: “Would any of you who are parents give your child a weta when asked for a fish? Bad as you are, you know what to give your children.” We want the best for our children, even when it is costly to us. The Gospel is filled with images of lost treasures being found and the story of the p...
Living Repentance
March 22, 2022 03:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBJohn wonders what repentance means this Lent, having described Lent as a time to reflect on what has been life giving for you and us, and to use this time to learn to live in more thankful and life-giving ways, and last week wondering how we have experienced God’s faithfulness over these last couple of years. What I want to happen: For people to bear fruit of living gratefully in ways life giving ways that allow us all to experience God’s faithfulness in even the darkest of times. The no...
God is Faithful – Let’s Hang on to That
March 14, 2022 21:00 - 14 minutes - 10.3 MBJohn explores the theme of God's faithfulness in the readings for this Sunday, particularly Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 and Luke 13:31-35, and what that might mean for us. He wonders how we have experienced God’s faithfulness over these last couple of years? how does that help us be thankful and live in more life giving ways? We finish with a video from the diocese of Wellington that is part of our Lenten studies. It offers a way for us to pay attention to how we experience God’s faithfuln...
Finding Life in Lent
March 07, 2022 22:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBJohn explores Luke’s version of the testing story – not as temptations but a test of how Jesus will live out being the “Beloved Son” . And we do that by looking at how that flows into the sermon on the plain. They work together to show how Jesus will not live being the "beloved Son", and how we will live that out. In all this Jesus in Luke is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophesy/dream of the restoration of life-giving community for all, for all life. In light of all that John wonders what...
Loving our Enemies – Yeah Right
February 22, 2022 00:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBAs we listen to more of Jesus’s sermon on the plain, John wonders who are my enemies, and what does it mean to love them? The Parihaka story helps us see this teaching as how we are to live God’s non-violent resistance to all that seeks to destroy life giving community. AS MLK says, we are to be extremists for love: blessing, giving, praying for and living for those beyond our borders. In light of that: · who are our enemies? · what does it mean to love, do good, bless, a...
A Plain Sermon
February 15, 2022 22:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBJohn explores Luke’s version of this block of teaching, noting that the world Luke and all biblical writers were writing for was based on family and community, not the individual. Jesus in Luke is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophesy/dream of the restoration of life-giving community for all, for all life. The sermon on the plain is a warning about the priorities that destroy community, and offers some different values. This is what we pray for when we pray the Lord's prayer. So what is it we ...
A Call to Be More
February 08, 2022 00:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBJohn uses the call of Isaiah and Peter, James and John, to talk about “call” being about re imagining who we are and how we are and what we are called to do He wonders how this helps us engage with the ongoing work of honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi as we build back in this pandemic? You can read the notes here
A Call to Love
January 31, 2022 23:00 - 14 minutes - 9.66 MBFor some who follow the C of E calendar, this coming Wednesday marks the end of the 40 days of the Christmas-Epiphany season. What is this season about? - revelation who Jesus is - response to that? John explores why he stuck with readings for 4th Sunday rather than presentation readings - really like Jeremiah – got smacked in mouth by coal and became prophet to kind of like how we have been smacked in the mouth by Covid -> ...
We gather this Christmas
December 29, 2021 21:00 - 8 minutes - 5.99 MBA Christmas reflection using my poem "We Gather this Christmas" and "God Would Kneel Down", by Daniel Ladinsky. What does God hope for this Covid shaped Christmas? What do we hope for those we love?
Mary’s Protest of Love
December 19, 2021 23:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBJohn explores this wonderful intimate and somewhat radical moment in Luke between two women which results in the “Magnificat”. He then uses Rachel Held Evans' work on the Shema and Love to explore what might life behind the Magnificat. Finally use Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase to ask in what way are we bursting with God-news and joining the dance to the song of God this Christmas? He finished by asking himself - How does Mary’s song help me to see God’s hesed love at play today? -...
Joy for Who?
December 14, 2021 05:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBHow might we open ourselves to receive the gift of joy this Christmas? The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams, in “The Book of Joy - Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” offer these three ways of being joyful; the ability to reframe a situation positively; the ability to experience gratitude; and the voice to be kind or generous. John the Baptist invites us to go further – to offer the gift of hope, peace, joy and love this Christmas to others. How might we practically live ge...
Mind-blowing Peace
December 08, 2021 05:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBJohn explores how advent helps us remember that Christmas is important, but it is not the point. Advent points to Christ in history, Christ in mystery and Christ in majesty. What does peace look like in all that? How is peace often described and enforced? What might true peace involve? What might be needed for us to find peace this advent? The notes for this sermon can be found here
Christ the King in our Covid World
November 22, 2021 22:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBChrist the King has a few issues. It’s history. How it is used today by various groups opposed to the government’s response to Covid. John uses the reading from John’s Gospel to explore some of that, and then quotes Liz Fitzmaurice's opinion piece in Stuff as an example of what the reign of Christ might look like today He asks - What does the reign of God look like in a Covid world? - What future do we imagine in Christ? - What values shape that future? The ...
What Grips Our Attention?
November 15, 2021 18:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBJohn uses Mark to explore what we give our attention to and notes he gives a lot of attention to covid updates, vaccination numbers, traffic lights and vaccine mandates. He wonders in what ways he is like those disciples, amazed at the grandeur of Herod’s temple and freaked by Jesus apocalyptic utterances. This is also the end of our year in Mark, where we have been invited to have our minds blown by the ongoing story of the coming of God’s kingdom.What has blown our minds this year? As w...
Clinging in our Grief
November 06, 2021 22:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBJohn begins by talking about some of the commemorations going on around this Sunday: and uses them as a way of helping us own our sense of anxiety and grief at where we are at with covid right now He looks at Ruth and what she offers us as an example of how to respond to our own grief, frustration, and questions, and in doing so honours and gives space to their grief, anger, and questions, and provides a model in how Naomi and Ruth cling to each other as they find their way through this. ...
Remembering our Saints
October 30, 2021 22:00 - 9 minutes - 6.68 MBBonnie uses the story of Ruth and Naomi to explore who our saints might be. She finishes by asking us to reflect on - Who are the saints in your life? What qualities of theirs do you give thanks for? In what ways do you honour their memory?
Mind Blowing Following
October 23, 2021 22:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBJohn continues to explore what God was up to with Jesus. One way of answering that is that Jesus is like God and God is like Jesus – what does that do to your thinking about the life of faith. Job invites us to hold lightly all that we think we know about God and to find comfort in the uncertainty. And then to live in hope. Reminds me of Mark 1:15 – let your mind be blown Bartimaeus comes at end of central section turns the story towards Jerusalem and highlights disciples’ blindness The...
Changing the Story
October 20, 2021 05:00 - 13 minutes - 9.14 MBJohn uses Mark 10 to explore how we use stories to make sense of life and God, and the invitation within the gospels to let them go, and embrace some new stories. The question Mark keeps asking, and we need to keep asking are what do you think God was up to in Jesus? what does this say about God? what does this mean for how we live in our own dark and troubled times? The notes can be found here
Changing the Story
October 20, 2021 05:00 - 13 minutes - 9.14 MBJohn uses Mark 10 to explore how we use stories to make sense of life and God, and the invitation within the gospels to let them go, and embrace some new stories. The question Mark keeps asking, and we need to keep asking are what do you think God was up to in Jesus? what does this say about God? what does this mean for how we live in our own dark and troubled times? The notes can be found here
Thriving with Francis
October 08, 2021 05:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBFrancis understood at a deep level God’s deep desire that all creation might thrive. He also understood that for that to happen relationships between people, and people and creation needed to be restored. This is the deep longing in scripture. It is what the covenants longed for. It is what Jesus came to complete. It is what he taught and lived. We see that in the story today – Deuteronomy allows divorce when woman displeases the husband. The central theme of this years Season of creation re...
Thriving with Francis
October 08, 2021 05:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBFrancis understood at a deep level God’s deep desire that all creation might thrive. He also understood that for that to happen relationships between people, and people and creation needed to be restored. This is the deep longing in scripture. It is what the covenants longed for. It is what Jesus came to complete. It is what he taught and lived. We see that in the story today – Deuteronomy allows divorce when woman displeases the husband. The central theme of this years Season of creation re...
Imagining, Praying for and Creating
September 28, 2021 21:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBIn this Season of Creation to explore the need to imagination our relationship with and place in creation – our common home; and courage to live that out. Esther offers an example of what reimagining your place looks like, the risks and the rewards – a story still celebrated by Jews today at Purim. Esther also offers a chance to honestly reflect on where we are in our current plight. In this last reading from the letter from James we are reminded that the basis for living our faith is praye...
Being Ecumenical - Season of Creation 3
September 21, 2021 08:00 - 11 minutes - 8.21 MBJohn reminds us about what the Season of Creation is about, and what the theme for this year is. And then explore the theme for this week Oikoumene, ecumenical – - is also about all humanity sharing our common home with each other, and all life – even viruses. - is about the kind of relationships that sustain our common life. - About the whole church and its work living God’s love for and invitation to care for integrity of creation The sermon concludes with a...
Meditating on our Ecology - Season of Creation 2
September 14, 2021 23:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBJohn reminds us what the Season of Creation is about. And he explores this years theme “A home for all? Renewing the Oikos of God”, and the central image of Sarah and Abraham's tent which is open on all sides offering welcome, shelter, refuge, and safety to ALL in our common home - human and non human. He then offers an Earth Examen from the Season of Creation Resources to help people engage with their local ecology. The notes for this sermon and examen can be found here
An Invitation to Pray in the Season of Creation
September 08, 2021 05:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBJohn introduces this year’s theme for the season of creation, - A home for all? Renewing the Oikos of God – joining worldwide church in responding to God’s invitation to work together to renew our world as an interconnected and interdependent global beloved community. This week invite us to join in praying, using the Season of Creation Prayer Season of Creation 2021 Prayer Creator of All, We are grateful that from your communion of love you created our planet to be a home for all. By y...
The Trouble with Being Kind
August 29, 2021 06:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBIt turns out in these Covid times that being kind is quite hard work. But Jacinda and James the Just are both pretty clear about how important it is to be kind, compassionate. John looks at the letter from James and Mark 7 and talks about Jesus teaching around paying attention to what is going on in the heart as a way of becoming kinder. And then he introduces the daily examen as a way of paying attention to the heart during lockdown and beyond. The notes for can be found here