Hands of Love (Photographs)
Hands of Love is a collection of photos taken by church member Angie Hofer. Many of the hands in the photos belong to members of her family. The hands show the many ways that we connect to each other and to God at First Congregational United Church of Christ, from prayer to passing the peace to communion. And, across from the photos, we are reminded of the way that God’s hands hold us through a paraphrase from Isaiah: “See, I will never forget you… I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” (Isaiah 49:15-16)
Hands of Love can be found in the entry way to the church building.
The Memorial Window (Stained Glass)
The Memorial Window was originally installed at our previous church location at 5th Avenue and 8th Street in DeWitt. It became part of our current church building in 1994. Composed of mosaic glass bonded together by cement, the window includes many Christian symbols, including the hand of God, the Lamb of God sitting on the book of the seven seals, the Dove, the Chi-Rho, and a Bible.
The Memorial Window can be found in our main lobby area. There are guides to the window next to it.
The Heritage Windows (Stained Glass)
The stained glass windows in our Sanctuary were designed by church member Carol Beck and produced by Designer Glass and Mirror in Davenport, Iowa. The windows depict a variety of Christian images, including Noah’s Ark, the burning bush, the nativity, and crucifixion, baptism, and prayer.
The Coat of Many Colors (Mural)
Designed and painted by Brandon Hunt, this mural depicts several images from the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). It can be found in the last classroom on the left.
Two by Two (Mural)
Designed and painted by Steve Anderson, this mural depicts animals heading toward Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-10) in pairs (Genesis 6:19). It can be found in the second-to-last classroom on the right.
Windows and Mirrors (Collection)
The phrase Windows and Mirrors was initially used by the National SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Project to describe stories and other literature. A window is a story where we encounter people who are not like us. Windows are important because they show us how other people exist in the world and how we exist in relation to them. A mirror is a story where we encounter people who are like us. Mirrors are important because they show us that we are valued and that we belong
Most Western art depicts Jesus and other Biblical figures as white. This hollows out our experience of Christ as we do not encounter him in his holy otherness. The Windows and Mirrors Project at First Congregational United Church of Christ helps us encounter Christ in new ways and invites us to consider how we see Christ in people who are like us and in people who are different from us.
You can find the art that goes with our Windows and Mirrors project in our hallway.