“And to answer you last question, if someone was sacrificing chickens before an icon, that would be idolatry. “
Chickens are forbidden sacrifices but not flowers or incense?
Flowers and incense are not sacrifices. They add to the beauty of the worship of the Church. Incense in particular is used to sense everything in the Church, including the people. Obviously, when the congregation is censed, this is not an indication that they are being worshiped as gods.