From a sermon by an Orthodox priest (presbyter)

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Once again, the Lord has blessed us to join with one another and with Orthodox Christians throughout the world in celebrating the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy-the triumph of the True Faith. Historically, the feast of the Church's triumph over the iconoclasts coincides with the first Sunday of Great Lent. And so, for over a thousand years, Orthodox Christians have gathered on this day to proclaim, with one voice, the relationship between the veneration of the holy icons and the Church's teaching on the incarnation of the Son of God. On this day the Church draws our attention to the icon as a vital witness to the fundamental Christian teaching that God became man and has united Himself to us so that the human person might be lifted up and united with God.

Today's celebration reminds us that, by becoming man, the Son of God descends to us so we might ascend with Him into the Glory of His Kingdom. Through His incarnation by the Holy Spirit in the most-pure womb of the Virgin Mary, the invisible and uncontainable Son of the Father has become visible and therefore can be depicted by artistic means. Consequently, in the lines and colors of all the sacred icons-of Christ, of the Theotokos, or of the saints-we behold the image of a transfigured person who in turn reveals the face of Jesus Christ. Every icon whether of a man or woman, depicts the incarnate Savior who is the perfect "image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15).

The feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy-the feast of the icon-has its origins in a long-drawn-out theological controversy that spanned the 8th and 9th centuries. But this controversy was not limited to theologians or scholars, to their classrooms or meeting halls. Indeed, the controversy concerning the veneration of icons affected all classes of individuals and threatened the very unity of the Church. The defenders of the Orthodox Faith understood that iconoclasm-the teachings of those who opposed the making and veneration of icons-was a movement that aggressively sought to limit and ultimately overthrow the very mission and purpose of the Church by redefining and distorting our understanding of Christ as "the Word made flesh." Saint Nicephorus of Constantinople, one of the great defenders of the icon during the second wave of iconoclasm, regarded the rejection of the sacred image as a rejection of the Church's Orthodox teaching on the incarnation itself. In this venerable patriarch of Constantinople, the double rejection of image and incarnation expressed a violent infidelity to the will of the Father and the activity of the Holy Spirit. In clear and simple terms he tells his opponents that because of the attack against the icon, because of a misinterpretation of the Church's teaching concerning the incarnation, "the good will of the Father has remained without result; the cooperation of the Spirit has been ineffective; and the apostolic preaching has been quenched."

Celebrating the victory of the icon we celebrate the victory of Christ's incarnation, death and resurrection over the powers of sin and mortality. The Church is the new creation. It is the living and glorified body of Christ. The Church is the pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim 3:15) by which all are called to be "saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth" (1 Tim 2:4).

Elizabeth

Raising hand....

As an Orthodox Christian, I am wondering why you two keep discussing the veneration of icons and material things (dare I bring up relics of saints?) by using texts from the OT.

Pnotc, you probably know by now (you clever man) that the reason the Church can honors icons and "matter" is because God chose to take on flesh in the incarnation.  He, who was un-representable, chose to be "representable".  To take on flesh, have a particular eye color, eat, sleep, get tired, suffer and die.

We honor icons as old family members who are with the Lord now but lived lives worthy of remembrance.

But I am not going to get into it again.  I pray that God will reveal Himself to you.

Elizabeth

Petro, just one clarification, the only mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ.  We ask those who have departed this life to be with the Lord to INTERCEED for us...which means pray to God for us.  When you ask a friend to pray for you, you are asking him to interceed for you with God.  So, our differences rest on whether those who are in with Christ , but have departed this world, can "hear" our prayers and pray to God for us.

I have a quiz for you:

The Bible says what is the pillar and bulwark of the truth?
a. The Bible
b. The Church

Which came first?
a. The Bible
b. The Church

Who did Christ say the Holy Spirit would lead into all truth?

An, another one bites the dust.  Petro you are one of the most prideful men I have ever known (read).

I don't think Pnotc prides himself on anything.  He speaks from his knowledge of the truth as presented in the Bible and church history.  

Pnotc,

Do you know you are Orthodox yet?  smile.

By the way, and I am sure Pnotc knows this, the Historic Church (the Orthodox Church...just have to rile Petro up here) does not believe in the concept of original sin as does the Roman Church and her children...the protestants.  The Church teaches that we are not born guilty of any other person's sin, but that because of the fall, we are born with the tendancy to sin and into a sinful world.

By the way, I was under the impression that Petro was a member of the Church of Christ.  I have a good friend who is and he sure sounds like her.  I am sure Pnotc knows about this group and who founded them and their teachings so I won't get into that.

Pnotc, is there a chance you would share with us where you got your degree?  Do you know all that Greek or did you have to look it up?  You are amazing.  I predict that in 5 years or so you will be an Orthodox priest.  WAIT....don't panic!

And PastorTom (is that right) I am guessing you are Lutheran?

With love in Christ,
Elizabeth

And Peter if you are reading this, you would REALLY get upset with them, the Church of Christ, because they teach that if you don't agree with there beliefs totally you are going to hell.   Now they believe that they are only following the Bible.

Petro,

Well, well, you are a member of the Church of Christ.  One of my best friends is also.  Alas, she is as deluded as you are. The Church of Christ has never ceased to exist since 33 A.D. She is the Holy Orthodox Church.  She was not founded by men as your "church" is.