9/4/08

We have large plain wooden cross at my church which we use in procession on a "walk of witness" on Good Frday. In past years we have decorated it at Easter usually with a white cloth and crown of thorns. Occasionally we have adorned it with flowers. This year I notice an icon of Our Lord has appeared in its centre. It just doesn't look right! But somewhere in the vagaries of my mind is the rule that one shouldn't mix images. 
Can anyone advise me? 
Thank You 
James Macdonald 
St Michael and All Angels 
Barnes 
London SW13

REPLIES

9/4/08 - Fr David Moore

I have never heard that one should mix icons......in any case a plain wooden cross is not an icon........
Fr David Moore.
Warden G.S.S. 

10/4/08 - Ed Bakker

My personal feeling on this issue is that an ICON is not appropriate , we then tend to move into the world of the Eastern Orthodox.
I am not saying that ICONS are not beautiful, but for a procession of witness with the Cross, I would rather see a plain Cross. 
With every good wish in Christ from down under. 
Rev. Deacon Ed Bakker, SSM

30/4/08 - Eddie Bestwick

Although the plain cross used in the procession is not an icon, images do appear on a cross. A crucifix is a cross with an image, whether two or three dimensional. The cross without the figure or image denotes something different from one that has the figure or image. In one sense the cross James refers to with the image is an obviously inspired witness to Jesus and can be accepted as such. The alternative in the procession would be to have the plain cross and also an icon both carried in the procession. It is regular Orthodox practice to carry icons in procession. The icon when blessed by the Bishop has the presence of the person depicted which is why Orthodox greet various icons when they enter church.
There are various crucifix representations which have other images included for example God the Father, The Holy Spirit and Our Lady and St John seen in both Roman Catholic and Orthodox styles. I have an icon of the True Vine in which each of the branches emanating from Jesus has an image of each of the twelve Apostles at its tip. Where an icon includes another image it is always related to the presence in the icon. So the cross James mentions had an image of Jesus and that is clearly related to the cross.
Can I recommend to James and the brethren a very good catalogue of icons with 150 plus pages of all the different types (over 1,000 portrayed) of icons pictured in colour with their descriptions and meanings. I obtained my copy from SPCK bookshop (Leicester) last year:

Orthodox Byzantine Icons
8th Edition Catalogue and Reference Book (it was £8.95)
Published by St Isaac of Syria Skete
25266 Pilgrims Way
Boscobel
WI 53805-8381
USA
www.skete.com

Many Anglican churches and Cathedrals now have or use one or more icons for devotional purposes. I think that icons are a blessing Orthodox give to the world wide church, just a hymns have been a blessing from Methodism.
I hope the above is helpful.
Eddie Bestwick
(Chairman, East Midlands Branch of The Fellowship of St Alban & St Sergius)