CONVERSATION AREA
This was what the house last looked like before it was sold to us and when it was still occupied by its tenants. The above two pictures were taken and posted up by the property agent.
When renovations were in progress...
The conversation area after renovations were concluded...
Directly across the altar is this shelf that represents the Pilgrim Church on earth. Right above this shelf are two wooden carvings of eagles emphasising the divinity of Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church.
Behind these two eagles are three candelabra to remind us that Christ Who is both fully human and fully divine is the Eternal Word and the second Person of the Holy Trinity. |
This antique console table has a radio on top of it that was made to look antique but which actually has CD and USB features! There is also a victorian looking lamp and a wooden model of the trojan horse that we brought back as a gift from Turkey.
Beside the wooden console table is an antique colonial whiskey table. But we do not keep liquor in this table as nobody in the house actually consumes hard liquor. The pair of wooden coffee tables were purchased locally from a young couple in a flea market. They obtained supply of these pieces of wood from a factory that fells trees, attached legs to them and sold them cheaply. The wood was not properly treated and cracked soon after we bought them, but for us it only gives more character to the tables. If you look hard enough, you will also see some model traditional Hungarian houses made of clay and some traditional Hungarian nutcracker puppets made of wood perched on the little shelf. These model houses and nutcrackers were brought back from Budapest.
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Because of the amount of travelling done by the residents of this home (as a result of the nature of their work), this home contains mostly religious ornaments and objects that have been brought back from at least 15 different countries around the world. And of course, this collection took shape over the course of many years prior to the renovation of this house.
The conversation area is where guests sit to spend time dialoguing with one another. Decorating this area, just above the Chesterfield sofa, is the icon of the incarnation (that is, the birth of Jesus Christ). We dialogue with one another because God Himself became one of us in order to dialogue with mankind. Conversations are what friends share, and friendship is a remnant of paradise.
Directly across the altar is this shelf that represents the Pilgrim Church on earth. Right above this shelf are two wooden carvings of eagles emphasising the divinity of Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church. Behind these two eagles are three candelabra to remind us that Christ Who is both fully human and fully divine is the Eternal Word and the second Person of the Holy Trinity.
On the shelf is found little statues of the four Evangelists (St Matthew, St Mark, St Luke, and St John) who brought us the four Gospel books of the New Testament. St Matthew is always accompanied by a little winged human being because his Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus. St Mark is always accompanied by a winged lion because his Gospel begins with John the Baptist roaring like a lion in the desert. St Luke is always accompanied by a winged bull because his Gospel begins with the event of Zechariah the high priest offering sacrifice in the temple. St John is always accompanied by an eagle because his Gospel emphasises the divinity of Jesus Christ (a perspective known in the theological field as High Christology).
Various other objects also displayed on this shelf were symbols frequently used by the Pilgrim Church in antiquity, each with its own significance and meaning.
The fleur de lis represents the
Holy Trinity and was used in the medieval days by the French monarchy in their coat of arms. |
The stork is a symbol of piety and chastity. Its affection for its young also speaks of kindness. Because the stork is a harbinger of spring, it is associated also with the Annunciation.
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The anchor represents safety and hope to the early Christians. Hebrews 6:19 says of the work of Christ, "This is the anchor our souls have..."
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The owl is a Christian symbol for many reasons, one of the most significant being a representation of Jesus who entered into the darkness to pursue those living in darkness.
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The ship (or bark/barkque) represents the Holy Catholic Church which is the ark of salvation. She sails through the sea or sin and traverses the storm of worldly darknesses to arrive at the harbour of heaven where her children will at last arrive at the point of eternal peace and happiness.
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The ancient Greeks believed that the flesh of the peacock did not decay. This was why the early Christians adopted the peacock as a symbol of immortality. Because a peacock sheds its feathers and grows newer and brighter ones each year, the Christians also associated it with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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The rooster announces the dawn after a long night. This is why the early Christians used the golden rooster to be a symbol of Jesus Christ who breaks the power of the darkness, brings forgiveness of sins, and announces that new day by the power of His resurrection.
Also, the account of Peter's denial of Jesus and the rooster crowing is recorded in all four Gospels in Scripture. The message of this story is God's pardon to all sinners who believe. |
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At this conversation area is a statue of a medieval crusader. We are reminded in Ephesians 6:10-18 to "Put on the full armour of God", with the "belt of truth", the "breastplate of righteousness", the "shield of faith", the "helmet of salvation", and the "sword of the Spirit".
Notice that the sword is broken. The original owner had no understanding of the significance of this statue, hence dismissing it as "rubbish". This accounts for why we got this one-metre statue for only one hundred Malaysian Ringgit! |
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This spatial arrangement and interior design is the outcome of sustained theological reflection on the interface between faith and space. Our express intention in the design of this space is for people who enter to encounter God.