Synapses
Pastor Jason Synpases
Artist Statement by Hannah Garrity, from A Sanctified Art
In this art piece, I imagined an apple picked from the tree—an apple, like the one on a teacher’s desk. The apple itself breaks the border of its frame like the knowledge of good and evil broke the barriers set by God. Within the apple, synapses get more and more dense as the eye moves left to right.
When my son was little I remember seeing a searing image on a poster at a doctor’s office. There were a few brain scans. One was of an infant at birth. Then there were a couple of scans of brains that were a few months old. The newborn’s brain was spacious; the visual appeared to me like a blank canvas. The brains of the babies that were older showed a vast shift. One was significantly more full than the other. In my recollection, the poster was promoting talking and reading to your little ones. The fuller scans showed children who had been exposed to more words. Having taught school for many years, my reaction was visceral. We do not have much time, I thought.
As Adam and Eve began their journey into the world, away from Eden, I imagine that their brains continued to fill with connections, building knowledge. Does the knowledge of good and evil subject us to social vulnerabilities like judgment, ridicule, intimidation? Does our awareness of good and evil set us up for divisiveness? We cannot strive for less awareness. Like Adam and Eve, we innately yearn for more. In this age of constant information flow, our temptation to read only what we agree with looms like the forbidden fruit in Eden. Serpents are lurking. Yet the truth is discernible. We all know good from evil.
PRAYER
In quiet contemplation, color in the page on the left, reflecting on how the imagery illuminates what you find in the scripture and artist’s statement. Conclude with a silent or spoken prayer to God.
Miss Sunday’s Message?
Read Pastor Jason’s Message: Into the Wilderness
Sunday Evening Small Group
ITS NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN!
5:00 pm – Meet at the Church, Pastor Study on Second Floor
Childcare Available
A Sunday evening small group will meet for 6 weeks to support you in examining your life and your relationship to God. Conversation and reflection will be fueled by David Platt’s Something Needs To Change.
If you have your life, your faith, and following Christ all figured out, then this study is not for you. But who are you kidding? None of us have it all figured out! We all need to examine the life to which Christ calls us.
There is a ministry burning within your heart. God has a mission in mind for you right where your great passion meets the world’s great need.
Will you have to re-prioritize your life? You betcha!
Will you find new depths of love for yourself and others? Guaranteed!
Welcome to the adventure that has been suppressed for oh so long!
This Week at Hood…
Wednesday, March 4 – 1:30 pm – Prayer & Bible Study Small Group
Thursday, March 5 – 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Pastor Jason at Inspirational Grounds for Drop-In Coffee & Conversation
Thursday, March 5 – 3:00 pm – Ladles of Love Meal Preparation & Delivery
Sunday, March 8 – 10:00 am – Sunday Morning Small Group
Sunday, March 8 – 11:00 am – Worship – Sermon: “Walking Through the Wilderness”
Sunday, March 8 – 5:00 pm – Sunday Evening Small Group (Location: Hood Mem. Christian Church)
Coming Events…
Friday, March 13th – Lunch- Church BBQ
Friday, March 13th – Saturday, March 14th – Dunn/Erwin Area Youth Rally
Sunday, March 15 – Kyle Matthews leading Worship at Hood MCC