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.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Food enough for all
August 03, 2014 04:00 - 19 minutes - 8.9 MBFeeding of the 5000 men plus women and children is more than a nice story. It is an embodied parable about the kingdom of heaven – a kingdom or empire where all have more than enough to eat – good news indeed for the poor and hungry who have come to Jesus for hope and consolation after the death of John. John uses this to reflect on the Lord’s prayer, and on peace. He then invites people to reflect on what the words of the Lord’s prayer mean in light of this and to wonder what kind of country...
Building the Kingdom in the most surprising places
July 27, 2014 04:00 - 22 minutes - 10.1 MBThe Kingdom of Heaven is presented as being like a weed, like a woman hiding yeast in flour, like a tenant farmer finding treasure and somehow buying it, like a merchant selling all his stock to purchase a pearl of great price, like a fishing net dragging ALL in. It is not what is expected, not where it is supposed to be, not doing what it is supposed to be doing. it is just not what we are looking for. So are we the blind ones Jesus keeps talking about? So, we are invited to look for signs o...
Blessed be the Grittiness of life
July 13, 2014 04:00 - 19 minutes - 9.12 MBJohn suggests that in the story of the sower we are offered picture of a recklessly generous God who seeks to sow life wherever. While we can read the soil types as different people, it is also us. We are a mix of soils. And that reckless God keeps on scattering that seed of life within us. In this way we are blessed to be a blessing. How then do we nurture our good soil and help that seed grow, that we might be a blessing?
Making Room
July 06, 2014 04:00 - 20 minutes - 9.21 MBJohn uses the story of Rebekah and the servant of Abraham to introduce being open to a different life. He then uses Richard Rohr's "The Art of Letting Go, the wisdom of Saint Francis" to explore making room for God and opening ourselves to a greater vision for life.
The Binding of Isaac and hope
June 29, 2014 04:00 - 19 minutes - 9.15 MBIn this sermon John explores this is very hard but important reading. In it He suggests that we are given a glimpse of the angst within the Godhead around the Jesus event, and an image of the faith, love, trust and hope we are invited into as followers of the way. Briefly look at others who have lived out that life. Finally he explores how this reading offers us real hope and faith in a world where churches are getting older, greyer and smaller.
The Binding of Isaac and hope
June 29, 2014 04:00 - 19 minutes - 9.15 MBIn this sermon John explores this is very hard but important reading. In it He suggests that we are given a glimpse of the angst within the Godhead around the Jesus event, and an image of the faith, love, trust and hope we are invited into as followers of the way. Briefly look at others who have lived out that life. Finally he explores how this reading offers us real hope and faith in a world where churches are getting older, greyer and smaller.
Remembering Te Ranga
June 22, 2014 04:00 - 20 minutes - 9.2 MBGraham Cameron, (Piri Rakau and a member of St. Georges) talks about what happened here in Tauranga Moana 150 years ago, and in particular the Battle of Te Ranga. He uses Paul's letter to the churches in Rome to offer some theological reflection on what that story means for us today both as Anglicans (on this Sunday we celebrate our constitition, Te Pouhere), and as people living the Way of Christ here in Tauranga Moana.
Breathe In, Let Go, Move On
June 08, 2014 04:00 - 21 minutes - 9.7 MBPentecost invites us to let go of our past and to embrace God’s future. John uses Dianne Butler-Bass’s work to explore some of what that future might include as we prepare for our AGM, and to help people feel excited about the future rather than apprehensive.
It's not Fair
June 01, 2014 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.73 MBThe Very Rev. Richard Giles, Visiting Fellow of St John’s College, Durham and author of Re-Pitching the Tent: Re-Ordering the Church Building for Worship and Mission , Creating Uncommon Worship: Transforming the Liturgy of the Eucharist and Time and Seasons: Creating Transformative Worship throughout the Year preached on 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11. He begins with “it’s not fair!” I was too slow turning on the recorder and I missed that. From 1999 to 2008 Richard he was Dean of Philadelphia Cath...
Knowing our Story
May 25, 2014 04:00 - 18 minutes - 8.73 MBWhen we think of missionary in this context we often, maybe usually think of English men and women bringing the gospel to Maori. But like Paul who had inside knowledge (He grew up in the Greek world and Luke reports he had some knowledge of Greek philosophical thinking) European missionaries in this country had inside help – Maori who either took the gospel home with them when released from slavery up near Kerikeri, or who worked with the misisonaires. Today we will look at two: Ihaia Te Ahu,...
What If?
May 18, 2014 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.57 MBJohn uses Eleanor Catton’s graduation speech at VUW Graduation 2014 to ask “what if”. What if we take the incarnation seriously and are simply willing to trust into God made known in Jesus. Not the God taught about by Jesus, but the God whose character is made know in the life and death of life of Jesus. What if Jesus as the way, truth and life is not a propositional truth but an incarnational truth, a relational truth. What if truth and love has priority and no-one is beyond God’s love.
Talk to schools on the Battle of Gate Pa/Pukehinahina
May 15, 2014 04:00 - 1 hour - 30.4 MBThis is the talk I gave this week to a school about the Battle and why we should commemorate both the Battle, the Battle of Te Ranga, and all that followed.
Saved
May 11, 2014 04:00 - 19 minutes - 8.98 MBIn this sermon John explores how we understand salvation, and how this understanding affects how we see God, ourselves, Christ, Church and mission. John then offers a way of understanding salvation using Augustine and Julian of Norwich, and then uses that to explore some of Acts, with a side look at God as mother.John then invites people to feel free to embrace a wider array of understanding of all of the above and to know they still fit within the wide stream of Christian thought and belief.
Exploring Doubt
April 27, 2014 04:00 - 13 minutes - 6.32 MBBonnie Hebenton uses the story of General Cameron and the Battle of Gate Pa to explore doubt, and to get into the story of doubting Thomas. Is this doubt a good thing or bad? How does doubt allow us to grow in faith?
Resurrection Now
April 20, 2014 04:00 - 12 minutes - 5.74 MBJohn used the Animated The Easter Story by Geoffrey McLean (you can find this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3UKd6LQKng) to compare Matthews version of the story of the resurrection to Mark's, and to invite people to consider how resurrection affects their daily lives
Boundless Life
April 06, 2014 04:00 - 20 minutes - 9.23 MBJohn explores the story of the raising Lazarus and wonders in what ways we are bound in death. He offers the daily office as a means by which our rhythms may be shifted to God’s rhythms of life, our outlook shifted to God’s outlook of life, so that we may slowly be unbound from the garments of death and freed to embrace “eternal life”.He finishes by inviting people to try the daily office as part of the growing spiritual disciplines.
Seeing Deeply
March 30, 2014 04:00 - 22 minutes - 10.2 MBThis week John uses the gospel reading of Jesus healing the blind man in John 9:1-41 to ask who are the bind people today? He goes on to offer the daily examen as a way of learning to truly see: ourselves, God and God at work in our lives and the world around us; and invites people to spend some time each day using the examen.
Listening Well
March 23, 2014 04:00 - 24 minutes - 11.1 MBJohn explores the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman as an example of listening. He then introduces the spiritual practice of sacred reading.
Nicodemus and the Spiritual Practice Of Prayer
March 16, 2014 04:00 - 24 minutes - 11.1 MBJohn uses the story of Nicodemus to introduce the spiritual practice of prayer. He suggests that in John's gospel Jesus is one who comes from God and who makes God known. In his life Jesus makes known the life based on love offered to all, a life that calls forth our trust and loyalty (belief). Prayer is way we choose to live and pay attention to God’s loving presence.John invites people to reflect on their own understanding and experience of prayer and to use Lent as a time to pay more atten...
Quest for God
March 09, 2014 05:00 - 26 minutes - 12.2 MBI use the Genesis and Matthew stories to introduce Lent as a time to quest for God. I then go on to introduce the need for silence, solitude and fasting in the hope that those who listen will to find space for solitude and silence, and to think of ways they can introduce/develop fasting as a Lenten discipline
Living Perfectly
March 02, 2014 05:00 - 18 minutes - 8.43 MBIn this sermon John explores what “God’s perfection” might mean, suggesting that rather than it being about without sin, guilt free, blemish free, it is much more about God’s compassion for all creation, God’s mercy, justice and love. From this he invites people to ask themselves what images of God they might need to give up this lent, and what new ways of understanding God, as revealed though Christ's life, ministry and teaching we might need to pick up and develop during Lent.
Am I my Brother's Doormat?
February 23, 2014 05:00 - 18 minutes - 8.36 MBJohn explores Matt 5:38-48 and suggests two things: first that it needs to be read in the context of the whole of the sermon on the Mount; and secondly that rather than suggesting to those he is talking to (the poor, marginalised, oppressed) that they just need to suck it up and tough it out, he offers ways of standing up to the violence and oppression non-violently.
Faithful Reading
February 16, 2014 05:00 - 22 minutes - 10.2 MBJohn explores how to faithfully read and interpret scripture based on The Sermon on the Mount, and in particular Matt 5:21-37, in order to offer people the skills to faithfully read scripture for themselves in a way that is consistent with both gospel writers and Paul.
What Really Matters
February 09, 2014 05:00 - 16 minutes - 7.72 MBThe Sermon on the Mount, and in particular the Beatitudes, invites to consider what really matters for us in our life? Matthew the gospel writer suggests that what really matters is not honour as traditionally understood, i.e. whether born Israelite or Gentile, status, or even whether perform great acts in spirit. What matters is whether our attitude is marked by that described by beatitudes, and how we act.
Called to be Fishers of People
January 26, 2014 05:00 - 19 minutes - 9.04 MBJohn invites us to let go of some more theological assumptions and explores the nature of call from a fresh perspective. In this way he invites people to reflect on their own calling and ministry in light of this story from Matthew
Letting go of our theological baggage
January 19, 2014 05:00 - 23 minutes - 11 MBWe look at the theological politics in John’s gospel, and how we play theological politics as well. John H then suggests that Epiphany offers a time for us to be reawakened to what Jesus teaches us about the nature of God through Jesus’ life, ministry and teaching. Using “lamb of God” and Jesus is way, truth and life, he explores how our theological glasses blind us to what Gospels teach us.
Joy in Advent
December 15, 2013 05:00 - 17 minutes - 8.27 MBIn this season which seems to be all about how God offers us joy, I use the readings to explore what gives God joy, and invite people to reflect each day on how they offer God joy, and how in turn they receive joy.
Watching for Peace
December 01, 2013 05:00 - 18 minutes - 8.45 MBAdvent is time of waiting. It offers an opportunity to reflect on what we wait for and how. In this sermon John asks “what are we waiting for the Advent?”, and suggests that among other things we watch for Peace.Watching for peace is more than hoping that all will be well. It is an active watching – getting involved in God’s peace - living is such a way that we live as if God’s reign of justice and peace is now.Isaiah offers image of instruments of war and death being turned into instruments...
Who is Christ the King?
November 24, 2013 05:00 - 21 minutes - 9.95 MBWe need to be really careful about how we talk about and live out “Christ the King.” It is too easy to just replicate what the rest of society expects and look no different.One way we can do that is to approach Christmas as a time of good news for all people, and to prepare in that vein, rather than just as a family time
Remembering those who fought
November 10, 2013 05:00 - 20 minutes - 9.39 MBJohn asks what do we remember on Remembrance Sunday? He goes on to suggest that we remember and honour those who went to fight, either voluntarily or consctiped. by working to prevent any others having to do same. He uses the reading from Haggai as an example of keeping hold of the big picture of God’s ongoing work, and offers the example of Te Whiti and Tohu as an inspiration for those seeking peace.
Honouring All the Saints
November 03, 2013 04:00 - 15 minutes - 7.31 MBJohn explores All Saints/All Souls as a day to celebrate the lives of those who have gone before us, living each day as a gift both from God and those we celebrate.John also explores blessings and woes from Luke as what it really means to live each day as gift from God
Who are God's Chosen People?
October 27, 2013 04:00 - 18 minutes - 8.51 MBI explore the question "who are God’s Chosen People?" I suggest that we are all God’s chosen people and that we have done and can do nothing to earn that we are all invited to “see” and to respond to that by loving GodTo love God we are to love neighbour rather than obey rules and laws.we do that by praying unceasingly for justice for all God’s people
Letting God out of our box
October 13, 2013 04:00 - 20 minutes - 9.54 MBUsing Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 and Luke 17:11-19 John explores how God refuses to be pinned down by our rules and asks what rules that we have made about God do we need to let go of
Following Francis
October 06, 2013 04:00 - 16 minutes - 7.47 MBTo celebrate St. Francis of Assisi I tell the story of Francis and the Lepper, and Francis and the wolf of Gubbio. I apply it to our Gospel today and fisnish by asking who or what do we fear, loathe or despise, and what is a faithful trusting response.
Who is at the gate?
September 29, 2013 04:00 - 12 minutes - 5.9 MBIn this sermon I use the story of Elizabeth of Hungary to shed light on the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man. How can we live out what this story is suggestingIn response I hope people will talk about who is at their/our gate, and how do we and how might we respond
Just Money
September 22, 2013 04:00 - 17 minutes - 7.87 MBJohn explores Luke 16:1-13, the story of the Wasteful Steward. He wonders whether he really was dishonest, or lazy. He goes on to use this story to talk about the living wage concept and the upcoming local body elections.
Where has John been
September 15, 2013 04:00 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBJohn Hebenton talks about his time in the Solomon Islands, Australia and South Africa, offering some thoughts along the way.
Being Free to Choose the Better Way
July 20, 2013 04:00 - 17 minutes - 8.02 MBExplores Lukes story of Mary and Martha, partly as it addresses the challenge of offering hospitality for house churches, and partly as Jesus opening up all roles to all people.
Who is my neighbour
July 14, 2013 04:00 - 17 minutes - 8.27 MBToday’s Gospel reading, despite its familiarity, never fails to challenge my thinking and to kick start my efforts to live out my faith in my life!Today we hear Jesus tell a story in which three men see a man in the ditch – but only one stops to help him. It is a story about being a neighbour and it emphasises Jesus’ priority of loving God and loving one’s neighbour. Having told the story, Jesus turns back to the lawyer again and catches him out on the very question which the lawyer had thoug...
Disappointed Naaman
July 07, 2013 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.52 MBUses the story of Elisha healing Naaman to look at how our God will not conform to our expectations and hopes and keeps doing the unexpected
No Money?
July 07, 2013 04:00 - 21 minutes - 10 MBIn this sermon I explore the sending out of the seventy in Luke, using the rise of the Mendicant Orders in the Western Church. I do so in the hope that we will all hold lightly to money and grow in faith
Passing on what Mantle?
June 30, 2013 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.51 MBIn this sermon I talk about who we are passing our mantle on to and what are we passing on?In response I hope those who hear this will reflect on the important people in their lives and how they helped shaped them today; how they seek to help shape and support younger people today; and what they need to let go of to pass on the mantle of Christ
The Sinful Woman
June 16, 2013 04:00 - 16 minutes - 7.52 MBWendy Showan explores the story of the Sinful Woman in Luke 7, and compares her actions to Simon the Pharisee, and us.
Celebrating a Constitution! Really?
June 02, 2013 04:00 - 23 minutes - 10.6 MBI explore why we would want to celebrate Te Pouhere, the constitution of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. I examine the central place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi tin that constitution, and use Paul to look at how the early church sturggled with similar issues. My hope in doing this is that people will be better informed about Te Pouhere and think about how we might live it out.
Joining the dance
May 26, 2013 04:00 - 17 minutes - 7.88 MBReadings:Hebrew Scripture: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 Psalm:Psalm: 8Epistle:Romans 5:1-5Gospel: John 16:12-15 What I want to say:I suggest that a good understanding of the Trinity is important to help us understand who we are and what is ours to do. I explore Social Trinitarianism and suggest things we might need to let go of . As it was time for our AGM I talk about things we might need to let go of as church and my visionWhat I want to happen:People to be more engage...
Pentecost 2013.MP3
May 19, 2013 04:00 - 16 minutes - 7.64 MBI suggest that the miracle of Pentecost is not that the Spirit God came down in power and allowed the early followers to win converts through signs and wonders. I think the miracle of Pentecost is:people were to able worship God in own languagethe early followers stopped looking for the day when God would return and restore the Kingdom of Israel and they would be in winners circle, but with humility and love worked among both poorest and wealthiest living out – loving God with heart, and soul...
John 17 and Prayer
May 12, 2013 04:00 - 17 minutes - 7.91 MBWe read a lot about prayer in today’s readings. In Acts 16:16-34 Paul and Silas are on their way to pray when Paul stops to expel the spirit from a slave girl who was making a great deal of money from her fortune telling ‘gifts’. Not surprisingly, the slave girl’s owners were incensed as they saw their earnings disappearing! They seized Paul and Silas and brought them before the authorities. They were thrown into solitary confinement and their feet put in stocks. We read that they were “prayi...
Seeing, Knowing, Speaking
May 05, 2013 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.59 MBAn exploration of the story in John 5 where Jesus heals the man at the pool by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. We continued to explore why we struggle to love one another, and how who we love and how we love keeps being made smaller by culture and religion. In light of that we looked at how Jesus overcomes all of that to see, know, and speak to the man, healing him of both his disease (physical symptoms) and illness (broken relationships with God and family) and returns him to the community of ...
Seeing, Knowing, Speaking
May 05, 2013 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.59 MBAn exploration of the story in John 5 where Jesus heals the man at the pool by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. We continued to explore why we struggle to love one another, and how who we love and how we love keeps being made smaller by culture and religion. In light of that we looked at how Jesus overcomes all of that to see, know, and speak to the man, healing him of both his disease (physical symptoms) and illness (broken relationships with God and family) and returns him to the community of ...
All You Need is love
April 28, 2013 04:00 - 25 minutes - 11.7 MBAn exploration of the New Commandment given by Jesus as recorded by John, noting that loving one another is not easy – as New Testament (Acts, Pauls writing) show or as history church shows. Our failure to live out this “simple commandment” has led directly to us standing at dawn remembering those went to war on “our behalf”. Then explore the examples of Henare Wiremu Taratoa and Heni Te Kiri Karamu as examples of the risk of loving as Christ loves “Love one another. In the same way I loved y...