Start:Stop-The Image of God

From Island of Saints - An exhibition of Icons at All Hallows by the Tower

Good morning and welcome to Start Stop. Our prayers and reflection will last around ten minutes and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule dictates. Our theme today is The Image of God and we begin, as usual, with a short bible reading.

Bible Reading – Colossians 1.15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Reflection

Controversy seems to surround the use of religious symbols and images. Last year, the Foreign Secretary (now our new Prime Minister) got into hot water in the press (although was officially cleared of misconduct) for comments he made about veiled Muslim women.

Christian imagery has been no less politically controversial. The period between 726 and 843 was a time of iconoclasm, during which thousands of mosaics, frescoes and icons were destroyed at the behest of the Byzantine Emperor. Like many disputes in the ancient world, little written evidence exists about the arguments on either side and what does survive is predominantly from records of the victorious party. One such piece of evidence is found in the writings of St John of Damascus. He argued that since in Christ God became visible, painting Christ is necessary as a proof that God became man. To prohibit the use of icons was therefore to deny the incarnation. In his writings, St John made clear the distinction between adoration (or worship) and the honour (or veneration) of something; thus venerating an icon is not idol worship (and so not contrary to the Commandments). Icons became known as “windows to heaven” – you look through them to God, not see them as divine themselves. The “Triumph of Orthodoxy” saw the restoration of icons to the church after a debate at the Synod of Constantinople in 843, until iconoclasm gripped Europe again during the Reformation; the result of which can still be glimpsed in many of our churches and cathedrals to this day.

Island of Saints is a small but fascinating exhibition of icons on display at All Hallows’ by the Tower until Friday. Each piece follows in the tradition of orthodox icon painting, but these are not traditional icons since they represent British and Anglo-Saxon saints who fall outside of the orthodox canon. The icons of St Brendan, St Augustine of Canterbury, St Cuthbert and others each have a strong presence with their simple poses, bold colours and lustrous gold glittering in the daylight. It is well worth a visit.   

The monk and theologian Thomas Merton described how he came to faith after being captivated by images of Christ in mosaics and icons on a visit to Rome, writing “for the first time in my life I began to find out something of who this Person was that men call Christ.” He later came to own a number of icons, including a copy of the Holy Trinity by the renowned icon painter Rublev, placed on the wall of his hermitage chapel in Kentucky and used daily as an aid to prayer.

In the orthodox tradition, icons came to be understood not simply as religious art – a picture at a point in time – but as an extension of the incarnation – a continual expression of the divinity of God in the material world. The icon is not, therefore, an opportunity for artistic self-expression, but the work of the divine. The similarity in appearance of icons is because the value lies in the tradition (which, it is said, dates back to St Luke,) as Thomas Merton explains:

“The Christ of the ikons represents a traditional experience formulated in a theology of light, the ikon being a kind of sacramental medium for the illumination and awareness of the glory of Christ within us….the…rules of ikon painting are not just rigid and formal, they are the guarantee of an authentic transmission of the possibility of this experience.”

When we gaze upon an icon, we, through the grace of God, become part of the picture.

Writing from prison, perhaps as much for his own encouragement as for the young church in Colossae, St Paul explains in the beautiful poem we have just read how God is not just creator, but also, through Jesus Christ, the sustainer of everything both visible and invisible, in whom all things are held together. As the biblical scholar Tom Wright puts it, “With this brief but breathtaking vision of Jesus, Paul puts the Colossians and himself into the picture. They have come to be part of…the way in which Jesus’s lordship is implemented in the world.” “Like an apocalyptic vision, this mystery-revealing poem offers a glimpse of another world.” “This is not the world that [Paul] and his friends can see with the naked eye. They see local officials giving allegiance to Caesar. They see bullying magistrates, threatening officers. They see prisons and torture. But they are now invited to see the world with the eye of faith, the eye that has learned to look through the lens of scripture and see Jesus.”

In the same way that icons are not merely representative of one point in time but are windows to heaven – a medium for actively illuminating the glory of Christ within us, St Paul reminds us that our faith is not simply static but active; part of a living body with Christ at its head. Our whole lives have been created in and for Jesus, the image of the invisible God, who is to have first place in everything. Whilst we look forward to the life of the world to come, we are invited to see this world (which can seem so far removed from the kingdom of Heaven) through the eye of faith and hope and transform it, through acts of loving service.

Meditation

In a few moments of silence before we pray, perhaps we might ask ourselves if we can accept the challenge of reflecting the image of Christ in each moment of the day ahead.

Prayers

In our prayers the response to : Lord, you are the image of the invisible God is : You have first place in everything.

Lord, you are the image of the invisible God

You have first place in everything.

Lord, you are the head of the body, the church;

through your death on the cross, God was reconciled to all things.

We pray for the leaders of churches throughout the world. May their thoughts and actions mirror the humility and loving service of Jesus Christ.

We pray for those working to bring an end to conflict between people of faith. Grant us the courage to act as agents of peace and reconciliation in our lives.

Help us to remember that our faith is not static and confined to times of worship in church, but, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is active at all times and in all places.

Lord, you are the image of the invisible God

You have first place in everything.

We have been made in the image of God;

Help us to honour ourselves and each other.

May we open our hearts to your Word, spending time each day in prayer and reflecting on the scriptures.

Help us to choose to put you first in our lives - making each moment worthy of you, so that we may become the people you want us to be.

We pray for all who are sick in mind body and spirit, especially for those who cannot see the beauty in themselves; for those who self-harm.

Help us to see this world through the eyes of faith. Let us not judge others by their appearance. May we work to bring about an end discrimination of all forms.

Lord, you are the image of the invisible God

You have first place in everything.

Lord, you have first place in everything, power over earthly thrones, dominions and rulers.

We pray for our government, the Corporation of London and all those in authority that they may act wisely and according to your will;

Serving those in need, bringing peace and harmony to this world.

Help us to remember that whatever the complexities we create in life, it is you who holds all things together.

Lord, you are the image of the invisible God

You have first place in everything.

Lord, you are the firstborn of all creation,

Creator and sustainer of all,

Help us to preserve the beauty of the earth by reducing our impact on it.

We give thanks for those working to bring relief to those parts of the world suffering from flooding, drought and extreme heat.

May we support their work through prayer and action.

Help us to reduce our use of single use plastic and fossil fuels; to reconcile our lives with your creation.

Lord, you are the image of the invisible God

You have first place in everything

Blessing

May the beauty of God

be reflected in your eyes,

the love of God

be reflected in your hands,

the wisdom of God

be reflected in your words,

and the knowledge of God

flow from your heart,

that all might see,

and seeing, believe.

And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us and remain with us this day and always.

Amen

Thank you for joining us this week for Start:Stop. Island of Saints, a small exhibition of icons of Britishand Anglo Saxon saints is on show at All Hallows’ by the Tower until Friday 2ndAugust. Our prayers and reflection will begin again in a few minutes time.