HPUC

Architecture & Stained Glass Windows

The East Windows

The Parables
We now move to the east wall of the church, at the rear of the chancel, where a series of windows, given in memory of various longtime members, depicts the parables of Jesus. These windows, from the studios of C. J. Connick, are fine examples of the strong colors, stylized and symbolic images, and ornamentation of Connick's approach. The inscription below the first window sets the stage for these depictions: "I will open my mouth in a parable, which we have heard and known" (Psalm 78:2).

The Parables of the Pearl of Great Price, the Wheat and Tares, and the Lost Sheep
This is the second window in memory of Rolland and Edith Schloerb. The left-hand panel of the first window at the north end shows the pearl of great price, and the man who gives up all he has in order to obtain it (Matthew 13:45-46). Matthew also uses pearls to signify the word of God: "Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet" (Matthew 7:6). The right-hand panel depicts the parable of the good shepherd and the lost sheep tangled in brambles; the shepherd is reaching out to free him (Matthew 18:12-13). The central figure in each, though clad in red and green, resembles traditional repre-sentations of Jesus, and dominates the composition by both size (in relation to the man who wishes to purchase the pearl, for example) and placement.

The lower halves of these two windows show a stylized flowering plant, a motif repeated in all the windows on this wall. Three-part leaves represent the Trinity. The flowers, though round, are superimposed with five-pointed stars. (As noted in connection with the evangelist windows on the north wall, stars in religious

art generally connote divine favor or guidance.) Stylized bunches of grapes appear in the lower windows; grapes are a rich symbol for the relationship between God and his people, as in the words of John 15: "I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me . . . bringeth forth much fruit." The medallion in the ocular window depicts three sheaves of wheat and tares, or weeds, foreshadowing the apocalyptic separation of good from evil in Matthew 13:24. Wheat represents the bounty of the earth (again evoking the word of God), and - when depicted with grapes - of the bread and wine of Communion.

The Parables of the Sower, the Talents, and the Wise and Foolish Maidens
The second window was given by church members and friends in memory of Charles Whitney Gilkey and his wife Geraldine Brown Gilkey. The window was dedicated in 1956 after Mrs. Gilkey's death in 1955, although Mr. Gilkey lived another thirteen years. Gilkey was pastor of the church from 1910 until 1928 when he became the first dean of Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago. It was under Gilkey's leadership that the church resolved to open its membership to those baptized in traditions other than immersion. Mrs. Gilkey was one of the first members welcomed into the church under this new policy of open membership.

The Gilkey window's left-hand panel depicts the sower who liberally sowed without regard for the receptivity or fertility of the ground (Mark 4:3-8). The symbolic plants and flowers are repeated in the lower half of the window. The right-hand panel of this window depicts the wise and foolish maidens, one holding her lighted lamp high, another letting her empty lamp droop in her hand. The bridegroom (again, a dominant figure robed in blue and white, resembling the traditional depictions of Christ) stands before them, ready to admit those who were prepared for his coming. The medallion above contains ten lamps, the top five facing upright and flaming brightly; the lower five facing downward and obviously empty.

The Parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Lamp Under a Bushel
The third window in the parable series is dedicated to Arthur Crandall Green and was given by his wife in 1955. Green, who held executive positions in Goodman Manufacturing, was the treasurer of the church for fifteen years. At that time he also became heavily involved in denominational fundraising at the national level. He died in 1950.

The left-hand panel of the Green window depicts the good Samaritan offering succor to the man who had been attacked by robbers (Luke 10:30-35). Two figures representing the passersby who lacked compassion flee in the background. (In all of these windows, the relative sizes of the figures have a symbolic rather than realistic relation to one another. The man who seeks the pearl of great price in window one, the maidens in window two, and the injured man are all depicted in a secondary, worshipful role in relationship to the central figure whose appearance consistently resembles traditional depictions of Jesus.) The right-hand panel in this window depicts the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). A lighted lamp in the medallion of the third window represents the light of God which is not to be hidden under a bushel by us but set on a stand to give light to the whole house (Mark 4:21).

The Parables of the Lost Coin, the Pharisee and the Publican, and the House Built upon the Rock and the House Built upon Sand
The fourth window devoted to the parables was given by Harold and Grace Gates in memory of Mrs. Gates' parents, John Merlin Powis Smith and Catherine McKleeven Smith. J.M.P. Smith was a scholar of Semitic languages in the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. With four other scholars, he provided an "American" translation of the Old Testament in 1927. He served the church in a wide variety of volunteer leadership positions for over thirty years.

The left-hand panel of the fourth window depicts the parable of the lost coin and the woman who swept her entire house to find it (Luke 15:8-9). The right-hand panel shows the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:10-13) in which the self-righteous prayer of the Pharisee is contrasted with the humble piety of the publican. In the medallion, we see the stylized vulnerability of the house built upon the sand and the permanence of the house built upon the rock (Matthew 7:24-27).

The Parables of the Drawn Net, the Banquet, and the Mustard Seed
The fifth window was given by Edgar J. Goodspeed in 1961 and dedicated to the memory of his parents, Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed and Mary Ellen Ten Broeke Goodspeed, and his brother Charles T.B. Goodspeed. Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed, an historian and one of the founders of the University of Chicago, joined the church in 1893. He was instrumental in raising the funds for the construction of this sanctuary at the turn of the century, including a sizeable donation from John D. Rockefeller. Charles was an attorney whose practice included considerable work for the Northern Baptist Convention (later ABC/USA), and who served as

chairman of this church's finance committee for thirty years. Edgar was a New Testament scholar in the Divinity School of the University. He is perhaps best known for his 1923 translation of the New Testament and his work on the Revised Standard Version of the Bible

In the left-hand panel, the Goodspeed window depicts, the parable of the drawn net (Matthew 13:47-48); the right-hand panel depicts the parable of the rich man's banquet (Luke 16:19-31). In the medallion at the top, we see the growth of a mustard small seed into a flourishing tree, a parable of the coming of the kingdom of God (Mark 4:30-32).

The Alternation Between Adoration and Activity
The two single-panel windows which are smaller and higher on the east wall illustrate the balance between worship and service in Christian life. The figures shown in the window to the north are in an attitude of prayer and praise, while the figure in the southerly window is reaching out in service to the world. The two windows were installed in 1955 by Connick and Associates. Adoration was given to the church by George Damon Fuller and Louise M. M. Fuller. George was a professor of Botany at the University; he and Louise were also very active in church life. Activity was donated by family members in memory of Abraham and Elizabeth Bowers, and Martin and Martha Bowers.