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

John explores where we stand when we read scripture shapes what we understand it to be saying. He uses the passages from Proverbs 31:10-31 and Mark 9:30-37 to illustrate his point. Is the reading about the capable wife really that sexist, or pointing to a counter cultural understanding of the role of a wife? Why is it we cannot hear Jesus say that when we welcome a child we welcome God?

John talks about how as Christians we are to be both within our culture and outside it so that we can offer a vision of another way. And this is not easy, as we can see from all our readings. The pull back is strong, and often “The Church” is shaped by the values, fears, prejudices of our surrounding culture the same as every other institution. A case in point is how do we respond to the refugee crisis?

John explores John 6:56-69 and suggests that when we eat and drink God meets our deepest dears and we learn to live in, abide in life of God