The Search for Peace in Times of Chaos—Volume to confess; though the scope of their culpability is far less than an older child, still their opportunity for spiritual growth remains the same Through this sacrament sinners may receive forgiveness They enter into confession with a priest often in an open area in the church (not in a confessional as in the Roman Catholic tradition or separated by a grille) This stresses that the priest is simply a witness and that forgiveness comes from God, not the priest The priest will then hear the confession and perhaps give advice After confession the penitent kneels before the priest, who places his stole on the penitent’s head saying a prayer of absolution.8 Of great importance to the Orthodox Christians are the These beautiful and elaborate paintings are described as “windows into the kingdom of God.” They are used in worship both in the decoration of the church and for private homes The Icon is seen as both a form of prayer and a means to prayer An Icon is usually an elaborate, two dimensional painting Often with a gold leaf background, they are usually on wood They depict Christ, His Allholy Mother, the Saints, scenes from the Bible and the lives of the Saints The iconographer prepares for the painting of an icon with prayer and fasting By worshiping at the Icon, the Orthodox Christian enters into a sacred place with God The worshiper kisses the Icon making the sign of the Cross and may kneel or prostrate before it The Seventh Ecumenical Council clarifies that the images themselves are not to be venerated, but the individuals that are depicted within those images; much the same way a person might feel love or closeness when viewing a picture of a loved one The term Icon comes from the Greek word , which simply means image Icons are filled with symbolism designed to convey information about the person or event depicted Icon painting, in general, is not an opportunity for artistic expression Icons are not considered by the Orthodox to be idols or objects of worship Unlike the Catholic Church, free-standing statues are almost non-existent within the Orthodox Church This is partly due to the rejection of the previous Pagan Greek age of idol worship and partly because icons are meant to show the spiritual nature of man, not the sensual earthly body