The Chora Church

The Chora Church was originally built as part of a monastery complex outside the walls of Constantinople, to the south of the Golden Horn. Literally translated, the church's full name was the Church of the Holy Saviour in the Country: although "The Church of the Holy Redeemer in the Fields" would be a more natural rendering of the name in English. The last part of that name, Chora, referring to its location originally outside of the walls, became the shortened name of the church. The original church on this site was built in the early 5th century, and stood outside of the 4th century walls of Constantinople. However, when Theodosius II built his formidable land walls in 413–414, the church became incorporated within the city's defences, but retained the name Chora. The name must have carried symbolic meaning, as the mosaics in the narthex describe Christ as the Land of the Living and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as the Container of the Uncontainable.

In the 16th century, during the Ottoman era, the church was converted into a mosque and, finally, it became a museum in 1948 (source: Wiki). read more and photo gallery

Jesus in Hades rescuing Adam and Eve

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Paul Preaching in Pisidian Antioch

According to Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas visited Pisidian Antioch on their first journey to Asia Minor, having first arrived in Perga on their journey from Cyprus. From Perga they would have followed the Via Sebaste to Antioch. The book of Acts states that on the sabbath Paul and Barnabas went to the synagogue in Antioch and were invited to speak to the people there. Their message was so well received that on the following sabbath “almost the whole city gathered” to hear them (13:44). 

possible site of the synagogue where Paul preached his first sermon

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Postcard from Ancient Turkey

To me, our 10 days STM Turkey Study Trip 2013 was like being caught in a tornado and dropped into the land of Oz (no, not Australia). There are these periods of hurried packing and unpacking, been awoken at unearthly hours, and hours of boredom on planes and buses. I do not believe I have seen so many different types of stones in ruins, and toilets in such a short period of time in my life before! These stones of ruins (not the toilets) carry an ambiance sense of antiquity and spiritual power of ancient gods such as Artemis and Apollo.

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. She was the Hellenic goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity and protector of young girls, bringing and relieving disease in women. Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. However her influence was so powerful that the ancient Romans continued to worship her as Artemis as evidenced by Artemis Ephesus in ancient Ephesus. Artemis Ephesus predates ancient Greece and may have even earlier roots in the ancient bear cults. Artemis Ephesus is also the Mother goddess of Anatolia, the ancient Romans being syncretic in their approach to religion, merging the Greek and Mesopotamian deities. 

Her brother Apollo is recognized as a god of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, and poetry. As the patron of Delphi, Apollo was the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo mediated through his son Asclepius, yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague. As the leader of the Muses and director of their choir, Apollo functioned as the patron god of music and poetry. 

Between the two of them, they control all aspects of human existence: business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion (also known as the seven mountains or spheres of influences of culture). As gods, they also control the fate of human beings (souls). The cult of emperor worship during the latter part of the history of the Roman Empire is another manifestation of these powers. These deities and their cultic institution of worship are the faces of spiritual powers and principalities that early Christians have to face and struggle against as they seek to follow the demands and worship a monotheist God. This struggle was intensified when Christianity herself become institutionalized and political after Constantine.

Walking among the ruins of Ephesus, Laodicea, Sardis and Hierapolis, I cannot help but feel the spiritual battles these early Christians have to face as they live in a culture of the bondage of fear, materialism, hedonism and consumerism. It would have been a great struggle to be a people that stood apart from influences of these which Reformed pastor and author Timothy Keller called ‘counterfeit’ gods. The letters in the Book of Revelation to the seven churches reveal certain aspects of these struggles. The struggles against the bondage of fear, materialism, hedonism and consumerism have not changed over the millenniums. The faces of the powers and principalities have changed but they themselves have not. These faces are no longer known as temples, agoras, nymphaeums or theaters. Nowadays, they are recognized as shopping malls, banks, Hollywood, online shopping, multinational corporations, governments and institutional religiosity. These powers and principalities are still controlling major sectors of the seven mountains. It is still a daily struggle for many of us not to follow the seductive ways of these counterfeit gods.

The spiritual battle has been ongoing for two millenniums and is still going on. Modern Turkey which is the cradle of early Christianity and later, part of the Holy Roman Empire has a population of 74.4 million people in 2011. Of these, only less than 0.2% is Christians! This shows that the spiritual forces working against God are still active and powerful. This is a powerful reminder to us to take heel of the warnings contained in the letters to the churches in Revelation. The spiritual warfare is still waging all around us. The modern Church ignores this at her own peril. We are to choose to intentionally walk closer to God, be holy, reject the seductions of other gods and be in continual communion with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Help us, O Lord, we plea.

amen.

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Gerome Cave Churches, Cappadocia

In the 4th century small anchorite communities began to form in the region, acting on instruction of Saint Basil of Caesarea. They carved cells in the soft rock. During the iconoclastic period (725-842) the decoration of the many sanctuaries in the region was held to a minimum, usually symbols such as the depiction of the cross. After this period, new churches were dug into the rocks and they were richly decorated with colourful frescoes.

read more and see my photo gallery
http://www.kairos2.com/Turkey_gerome_cave_churches.htm


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