The person of the artist disappears and the faith of the church is proclaimed. Human beings are created in God's image and given the gift to commune with God. The icon isn't just what you see in terms of paint or wood, but it is also an image of God's grace that can be seen only through the eyes of faith. It is said that icons are lonely in a museum. They need to be with the faithful in the Church.
Icons also make the persons and events pictured immediately present to the believer.
They remind the worshipper of the great company of Christians in all times and places who are still present as they worship God. Worship is a rich and full experience and people are expected to go back out into the world inspired by the time spent with God. The Churches which rejected the teachings promulgated at that council are termed Oriental Orthodox or non-Chalcedonian and they have not always been considered orthodox by the Eastern Orthodox Churches. The Oriental Orthodox have formed national churches to a greater degree than the Eastern Orthodox. In Jerusalem the Oriental Orthodox include the Armenian, the Coptic, the Ethiopian and the Syrian Orthodox Churches.