Holy Faces!

I like my icons—not the ones on my computer desktop but the ones on my wall and on my shelves.  My collection of religious icons is nothing valuable but I like the variety and remembering that some of them have been gifts.

Icons are more than religious art but have been devotional items over centuries of time.  Icons originate from the Eastern Orthodox tradition and reflect Byzantine, Greek, and Russian influences.  Typically, icons pay special attention to the eyes because it is said that icons are painted in a reverse image as if the believer is looking into heaven. Art history lessons point out the s-shaped form of those adoring Christ. The position of the hands and fingers becomes a message.  Often in the other hand there is a message describing the figure in the icon.  Traditionally, icon artists are in a period of prayer and fasting as they paint the images to match the spiritual journey of those who venerate the icon.

I have traditional icons within my collection, Mother and Child, the Holy Trinity, and Jesus the Liberator.  I have a Russian icon that a former confirmand brought me from his trip to Russia.  I have another icon that a friend decoupaged from a greeting card.  But then, I discovered a place in Vermont that not only does traditional icons but sponsor artists who do more contemporary icons.  So, I have an African Jesus, a Hispanic Angel Gabriel, an Apache Jesus, and a Navaho Madonna.  I have Bishop Oscar Romero, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Johann Sebastian Bach from that source.  I was especially excited to purchase the Bach icon since he was a devoted Lutheran—not typical choices for icons.  I wrote to inquire if they anticipated an icon of Martin Luther.  They replied that would not be in their plans.  I tried.

Here’s the point:  worship needs to appeal to all the senses.  We tend to be very verbal and worship time is filled with talk, talk, talk.  There are some folks in the pews who are more visual than they are audio.  They may best worship the Almighty by focusing on a simple worship accoutrement.  They are the ones who might best benefit by an icon on a stand with a candle lit indicating a holy place.  The devotion from gazing into the eyes of an icon is just as precious to God as the pious prattle that comes from human lips. 

Hey, whatever it takes to jack up worship.