Symbols of Faith

Soaring Steel, Warm Wood, Solid Stone Embedded throughout the church's facility are clues to its deep values and spiritual vision. Upon entering the Sanctuary, for example, many find themselves appropriately humbled, sensing they have entered a space set apart from the world for a sacred engagement with God. The roof trusses draw the eye toward the central source of light from above. The use of wood and stone lend a feeling of strength and beauty, consistent with the natural materials and artistry of God's creation.

The Tree of Life The sheer height and size of the pulpit and sounding board intentionally speak of the primary function of corporate worship - the preaching and hearing of God's Word. Like the canopy of the trees under which the prophets, rabbis and apostles taught, the over-arching pulpit both issues a summons to come hear the Word of God and serves as a symbol of that Word's projection to those with the ears to hear.

The Seed & The Sower Jesus often used the image of the seed as a symbol of the Word of God. His teaching on this subject inspired the statue of the Sower which stands in our Narthex. Since the ministry of Christ Church grew out of Oak Brook, it was natural to use the acorn as the primary seed symbol of this congregation. This connection is picked up again in the sculpture on the face of the pulpit.

The Oak & The Brook The pulpit sculpture depicts a flowing brook -- the living water of the Holy Spirit (John 4) -- and the good soil in which the acorn was planted. Surrounding it is the eternal circle representing the presence and blessing of God upon the planted seed.

The Vine & The Branches As the acorn grows into the tree, it gives spiritual life to the community of Oak Brook and beyond. The tree trunk shown on the sculpture begins to break into branches which however, remain incomplete. Jesus said that He is the Vine, but His people are the branches (John 15). As the Word is preached to us, we become the living, fruit-bearing branches which stretch out into the world.

This concept is reiterated by the vine and branches that appear in the stained glass above the Narthex and under which the congregation passes to go out into the world after worship. It is there again in the border on the Map of Missions in the Fireside Room -- an embroidered expression of the church's commitment to obey the charge of Christ emblazoned on the Sanctuary cornerstone -- "Go Into All The World" and preach the good news to all creation (Mark 16:15).

The Master's Table In the center of the sanctuary Chancel, raised above the floor level, stands a large trapezoidal table. Around it are 12 chairs, with an additional high-back chair at the head of the table. This arrangement symbolizes the original supper in which Jesus and His 12 disciples participated. The shape of the table reaches out to embrace the entire congregation and the communion of saints beyond. The Elders of the church, who serve the congregation the elements of the supper, use the side chairs. The high-back chair remains vacant - a symbol of the invisible presence of Christ in Whose Name we meet.

The Font of New Life On the same raised Chancel platform stands the baptismal font. Its base consists of a 400-year old olive tree trunk from upper Galilee in Israel. Its top is a large weather-beaten stone from Cana, the town where Jesus changed the water to wine (John 2). We present ourselves and our children for baptism recognizing our need for spiritual cleansing, for engrafting into God's life, and for the transformation of our selves.

The Gardener & The Carpenter The Garden Chapel recapitulates many of these wonderful symbols and is, some say, reminiscent of "the Garden Tomb" - one of the Jerusalem sites tradition holds as the possible burial place of Jesus. The trees and other plantings suggest the life of the Garden at the beginning and the end of time (Genesis 1-3 & Revelation 22), and whose "leaves will be for the healing of the nations."

The Chapel's communion table is a Carpenter's Bench -- a gift from a global partner hospital in Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up. The fountain and reflecting pool recalls Christ's promise to the woman at the well of Sychar -- "the water that I give you will become in you a spring welling up to life eternal"
(John 4).