John 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 nowHe 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.Take time to name your own grief, anxiety, and questions How are we making sense of what is happening, Who are we “clinging to” as we negotiate our way through this? The notes for this sermon can be found here

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Clinging in our Grief

Bonnie 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?

Remembering our Saints

John 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 blownBartimaeus comes at end of central section turns the story towards Jerusalem and highlights disciples’ blindnessTheir minds have not been blown yet, they have not been re-oriented by Jesus and are still trying to use their old formulas to understand what is going onOn contrast Bartimaeus not only has his physical sight restored, but acts as true disciple, leaving all he had of any worth to follow Jesus up to Jerusalem and the cross-         What do these stories offer us in these uncertain and troubling times?-         In what ways are we like the disciples, or even Job’s unhelpful friends, locked into old ways of thinking and unable to see what Jesus is on about?-         What does it mean for us to be like Bartimaeus, true disciples, today?-         What are we being invited to leave behind, -         and where might we follow Jesus to?The notes for this sermon can be found here.

Mind Blowing Following

John 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

Francis 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 remind us that we are all interconnected Because relationships broken too often women, children, and other people, creation simply seen commodity to be traded and discarded. That is what Jesus was talking about. The result is climate change and biodiversity loss. The burden of which is falling mostly on people living in poverty – especially women and children.  The recent Save Children fund report on consequences makes that clear.Finish by talking about COP 26 – and inviting people to get informed, pray for and advocate for COP 26 Conclude with his TSSF video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmxnP-kL7cs&authuser=1 The notes can be found here

Thriving with Francis

In 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 prayer – all kinds of prayer, from lament for this world, confession for our role in climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, pandemics and other diseases, war, violence, poverty, etc…Mark reminds us that God works though many people – even though who offer us a class of water. We are not alone in this work of reimagination. This week we are invited to both pray and act, for creation, for all who work to change our relationship, for all those working at the political and scientific level, for business leaders and farmers and those working to change how we work, and for young people who continue to highlight the urgency of this issue in the face of reluctance and the forces of business as usual. Finish with this music written and performed for churches as we pray for the upcoming COP 26 conference.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FdjzbxfsBIThe notes for this sermon can be found here 

Imagining, Praying for and Creating

John 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 creationThe sermon concludes with a video production of the poem Midnight: Fighting for Our SurvivalThe notes for this sermon can be found here

Being Ecumenical - Season of Creation 3

John 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&apos;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

Meditating on our Ecology - Season of Creation 2

John 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 your Holy Wisdom you made the Earth to bring forth a diversity of living beings that filled the soil, water, and air. Each part of creation praises you in their being, and cares for one another from our place in the web of life. With the Psalmist, we sing your praise that in your house “even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young.” We remember that you call human beings to keep your garden in ways that honour the dignity of each creature and conserve their place in the abundance of life on Earth. But we know that our will to power pushes the planet beyond her limits. Our consumption is out of harmony and rhythm with Earth’s capacity to heal herself. Habitats are left barren or lost. Species are lost and systems fail. Where reefs and burrows, mountaintops and ocean deeps once teemed with life and relationships, wet and dry deserts lie empty, as if uncreated. Human families are displaced by insecurity and conflict, migrating in search of peace. Animals flee fires, deforestation, and famine, wandering in search of a new place to find a home to lay their young and live. In this Season of Creation, we pray that the breath of your creative Word would move our hearts, as in the waters of our birth and baptism. Give us faith to follow Christ to our just place in the beloved community. Enlighten us with the grace to respond to your covenant and call to care for our common home. In our tilling and keeping, gladden our hearts to know that we participate with your Holy Spirit to renew the face of your Earth, and safeguard a home for all. In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. Amen.The notes for this sermon can be found here

An Invitation to Pray in the Season of Creation

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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John Hebenton's Podcast

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