3- CHRIST PANTOCRATOR
		
		
		"God Is With Us" is a familiar hymn which we sing many 
		times during the Feasts of the Nativity of Christ and the 
		Theophany. The hymn, sung during the Compline Service, 
		wants to impress upon us that indeed, God is with us. He 
		has come to lead us from our selfishness to the warmth of 
		the New Life in Him. God has come to lead us to Himself 
		and share in His life. 
		
		
		This celebration of "God With Us" is not only expressed 
		during the time of these two feasts. We are reminded of 
		it all year long. As we enter our Church, we see the Icon 
		of Christ Pantocrator in the dome or over the altar. This 
		icon is the focal icon of the Church. In Christ, God 
		comes to us and overshadows us with His abiding presence. 
		He comes to us in Christ, Who is Emmanuel , which means 
		"God with us." This icon is related to the icon of the 
		Ascension from which it is taken. "This Jesus who has 
		been taken from you will return, just as you saw Him go 
		up into the heavens." (Acts 1: 11) This announces Christ's
		 abiding presence, the One Who was with us in the flesh 
		 and Who is to come again. 
		
		 
		The icon shows Christ as Pantocrator, the Ruler of All. 
		To show this, the icon portrays Christ in solemn glory. 
		He is still with us, blessing us with the right hand and 
		holding the Gospel in the left. This is the Book by which 
		we are judged. Both aspects are portrayed in tandem, as it
		were, for Christ is the "Righteous Judge" and the "Lover 
		of Mankind," both at the same time. Icons of Christ are 
		always full-faced to emphasize His presence to us. He is 
		never far or distant. This Ruler of All Who will come to 
		judge the living and the dead has entered our lives. He 
		is the compassionate Lord Who comes to take the sins of 
		the world upon Himself. 
		
		
		This particular icon of Christ expresses that God is with 
		us. It proclaims God's loving kindness toward us by 
		showing us that He is giving us His blessing and 
		forgiveness. Christ is not pictured with a crown or 
		scepter as other kings. His power is not of this world. 
		He came to be with us and to show us His loving kindness. 
		He is with us throughout our lives. Our Church praises 
		God Who is with us. 
		
		
		HYMN- Praise you the Lord, the Lord of heaven. Praise Him 
		in the high- est. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
	

		I Am Not Afraid To Admit When I Am Wrong
		
		Even though we know there is always room for improvement, we 
		tend to shy away from criticism. Our egos tell us we are being 
		attacked and quite naturally we want to strike back. In order 
		to be whole, healthy beings, we need to know all there is to 
		know about ourselves. Sometimes that information must come 
		from others. This may mean admitting that we are not always 
		right, and knowing it is okay to make a mistake. A mistake, 
		an error, poor choice, or bad decision does not equal "there 
		is something wrong with me." It means you are on your way to 
		being better. We do not make mistakes on the basis of race or 
		color. We make them because we are human. When we acknowledge 
		our errors and face up to our shortcomings, no one can use them
		against us.
		
		Don't be afraid to look at your faults.
		

Home