Last Sunday, Christ Church celebrated an important milestone as we blessed twelve new icons for use in our worship. For many of us raised in the Anglican tradition, icons can feel unfamiliar. We may admire their historic beauty, but wonder how they fit into the life of the Church.

Anglicans have long valued visual reminders of the faith such as crosses, stained glass, sacred art, and icons, not as objects of worship, but as aids to prayer and contemplation. They remind us that because God became visible in Jesus Christ, material things can point us toward spiritual realities.

Christians have often described icons as “windows to heaven”. This is not because they possess any power in themselves, but because they direct our attention beyond themselves to Christ and the communion of saints. Rather than drawing attention to themselves, icons quietly invite us to look through the image to the One they depict.

Each Sunday, eight of these icons will adorn our sanctuary walls. To anchor our devotion, the right wall will remain constant, featuring permanent images for year-round reflection. The left wall will rotate throughout the liturgical year, guiding us through the great events of Christ’s life and the rhythms of the Church calendar.

To help our parish family grow in this ancient Christian practice, we will take time exploring each icon. We begin with the anchor of our right wall: Christ the Pantocrator.

Christ the Pantocrator

Our new icon is a beautiful reproduction from Legacy Icons, featuring the sacred artistry of contemporary Bulgarian iconographer Georgi Chimev.

The word Pantocrator comes from the Greek Παντοκράτωρ, meaning “Ruler of All” or “Almighty.” In this icon, Jesus is not portrayed simply as the historical teacher who walked the roads of Galilee, but as the risen and reigning Lord of all creation.

Every line, color, and gesture is filled with theological meaning.

1. The Garments: Divinity and Humanity

In traditional iconography, red symbolizes Christ’s divine nature and royal majesty, while blue represents the humanity He assumed in the Incarnation. The red tunic beneath the blue cloak proclaims that the eternal Son took our human nature to Himself without ceasing to be God.

2. The Hand of Blessing

With His right hand, Christ extends a traditional gesture of blessing. His fingers form a sacred monogram:

• The thumb, ring finger, and little finger are joined together, confessing the mystery of the Holy Trinity, three Persons, one God.
• The index and middle fingers together confess Christ’s two natures, fully God and fully man.

3. The Gospel Book

In His left hand, Christ holds the Gospel, the Word through whom all things were made and by whom all people will be judged.

In many iconographic traditions, an open Gospel emphasizes Christ’s public teaching and invitation to discipleship, while a closed Gospel, as seen in this icon, reminds us of His sovereign authority and His coming judgment.

Traditional Greek Inscriptions

Icons often include traditional Greek inscriptions that identify the person being depicted and connect the image to Scripture.

At the top of the icon are the letters IC XC, an ancient Christogram that abbreviates the Greek words Iēsous Christos—”Jesus Christ.”

Within Christ’s halo are the Greek letters Ο ΩΝ (Ho Ōn), meaning “He Who Is.” These words echo God’s self-revelation to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The icon boldly proclaims that Jesus Christ is none other than the eternal God revealed in the Old Testament.

How to Pray with This Icon: Visio Divina

Because Anglicans value thoughtful, Scripture-shaped prayer, icons provide a wonderful opportunity to practice Visio Divina (“divine seeing”).

Before the service begins, or during a quiet moment after receiving Holy Communion, consider reading a passage such as Colossians 1:15–20, Revelation 1:9–20, or John 5:21–27. Then quietly gaze upon the Pantocrator, allowing both the Scriptures and the image to draw your attention to Christ. 

Sit quietly with the truth that Jesus is the Almighty. Receive the comfort of His sovereign care, and allow the reality of His coming judgment to deepen both your reverence and your hope. Finish your time giving thanks to God in prayer.

Our prayer is that these meaningful additions to Christ Church will continually draw our hearts toward the unseen realities of God’s kingdom.

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior manifested your glory in his flesh, and sanctified the outward and visible to be a means to perceive realities unseen: Accept, we pray, these icons, and grant that as we look upon them, our hearts may be drawn to things which can be seen only by the eyes of faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.