I. Aware of Our Need

Our theme this Advent is “Come Home for Christmas.” The Belle Meade Church family is using this season to invite all its members to a family reunion. There are empty chairs at the table the family dinner table.

This image of home, of family, of absence and return, of invitation, led me to one of our favorite parables. It goes by different names, each focusing on one of its main characters: The Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Elder Son, the Loving Father.

For the first three Sundays of Advent, I want to focus on each of the main characters. Each will be looked at through the lens of Advent, of our becoming aware of our human need in order to be prepared for God’s response. If we feel we have no need for God; if we have no darkness, no need for light….Then Christmas …