John Hebenton's Podcast

Wendy uses a story about a little boy and an elderly woman's search for God to open up "John 13:31-35" - a new commandment

Easter is a time for us to reflect on what resurrection means for us in our daily living and our joining in mission of God. Dorcas helps us in this task

A reflection that the story in John's gospel of the resurrected Jesus appearing to Peter and some other disciples while they are fishing

John explores the importance of Thomas, both in the lectionary (we hear this reading on this Sunday every year) and for us; he is our guy saying the things we want to say. And we can follow his footsteps into belief if we are willing.

An Easter Reflection

John explores what Luke might have thought was going on in this story, and then asks what do we think is going on with us as readers of this story today?

John uses the story of the two lost sons from the previous week to enter into all that the story of Mary washing Jesus' feet offers us. We too are invited to see the world through the lens of love, the fourth way described by Brian McLaren. and Mary shows us what that looks like.

John invites people to reflect on this parish and their hopes for this parish and then reflect on some of the questions he keeps asking in light of that and the gospel reading for the day:•Whose are we (who is God)?•Who are we•What is ours to do? We are not called to survive or to be successful. We are called to be faithful to who we are. Ours is to be significant in these communities.

What pattern do we apply to scripture? What is it all about? What does all this God stuff offer us? Demand of us? God tells Abraham that he and Sarah will be blessed to be a blessing (Gen 12). That is the pattern to read scripture and understand our lives of faith by.

John explores the temptations or tests of Jesus in wilderness as tests of who he is in face of three main areas of desire that confront us all. The traditional tasks of Lent, pray, fast, give, help us notice our response to these desires and to learn new ways of responding.

John explores the nature of our call in terms of who we are rather than what we are called to do, uses Brian McLaren’s thoughts on patterns and his thoughts on images to think about being called to be the image of God in this place at this time – what might that mean for us? And then he explores Te Tiriti in light of all that

Using Brian McLaren’s thinking in “We Make the Road by Walking” John explores the concept of Logos as the logic by which we understand creation, God, and our place in all of this, and then use 1 Cor 13:1-13 to suggest that the logic of God is Love. John then invites people to explore their own experience of the logic of love – where have you seen the logic of love – in your life, in our world?

John explores why we might stand for the gospel so that people might be more thoughtful about how they do it, rather than just do it because that is what we do

John suggests the human story of Mary and Elizabeth offer us a way into Advent and Christmas

John explores how we might beinvited into new ways of experiencing joy this advent

John explores the idea that peace comes when we are unravelled from the threads and chords that hold us as individuals and as communities in certain ways of seeing, acting being. Peace comes when the radical change comes with repentanceHe then invites people to spend the week reflecting on what might be needed for there to be a new peace in their lives this Christmas

John explores the notion of hope at advent as more than just Christmas and peace to all on earth

John explores what the idea of the reign of Christ has to say to the events in Europe and the Middle East over the last few weeks/moths/years. Where might be the reign of Christ in all this? He then invites people to be signs of the reign of Christ in Tauranga Moana and in the world

Using Mark and in light of the terrorist attacks on Beirut and Paris, Wendy explores the nature of our hope

Rev. Marie Gilpin, one of the Chaplains at the Port of Tauranga talks about the United Mission to Seafarers in Tauranga, what it involves and how we might support this ministry. The video at the beginning of the sermon has been edited out. More information about the mission can be found at

Using the reading from Revelation John explores All Saints and asks how do we glimpse the Kingdom come in the lives of the Saints, and how do they inspire us to look for the new heaven and new earth in the here and now. On the back of that, how did we see glimpses of the new heaven and new earth in our loved ones and how might we honour their memory in how we live our lives now?

How easy it is to read the stories Of Job and the blind Bartimaeus and not see the people involved. But Jesus does see the person, the blind Bartimaeus, and asks him what he wants. How do we not see people? How are we ourselves not seen? What

John explores the importance of asking questions, and how the questions asked in both Job 23:1-9, 16-17and Mark 10:17-31are our questions and reveal something of who we are .

Iri Mato talks about his and Kate's time in Tanzania and Etheopia over the last 10 years and what he has learnt from this experience.

Ryan Cameron talks about MAF and how he came to be joining them in Australia and PNG