The Holy Spirit is not a force we can domesticate or predict. Like the waves hitting the rocks at Loyola, the Spirit moves with its own rhythm, offering a cleansing that we cannot manufacture for ourselves.

Pastor Kristin Hutson chose a text that, at first glance, carried an unexpected charge. It was the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, from the fourth chapter of John.

When we think of Advent, our minds naturally drift toward Christmas. We think of shepherds, angels, and a baby in a manger. We think of the first coming of Christ in history. But the Church, in her wisdom, does not start us there.

For us, our Temple might be job security, or the expectation that our children will be safe at school, or the simple belief that a hard day's work should pay the bills.

Every single one of us here has a gift. Not a single person in this sanctuary is without one. The trouble is, we often don’t see our own worth. We assume someone else is more qualified, more talented, more important. But that’s not how God works.

God sees what we do even when no one else is watching.

They lived in a world ruled by power-hungry leaders and unjust decrees. Sound familiar?