New header picture — labyrinth in the rolling prairie at Jubilee Farm

A new background picture for Ordinary Times’ header shows the center of a labyrinth at Jubilee Farm, the Dominican Sisters’ center for ecology and spirituality. Jubilee Farm, on 147 acres of rolling prairie west of Springfield, bills itself as a “a home to farm animals and wildlife, an educational resource, a demonstration of living in an ecologically responsible way, an oasis for spirituality.” The labyrinth, modeled after one at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Chartres, is a “pathway of prayer” — a circular path that lends itself to prayer, meditation or simply enjoying the gifts of nature. (The backhoe in the background is dredging a pond — part of the sisters’ mission to restore and maintain the land, practicing stewardship in the original meaning of the word.)

The picture in the header is cropped. (To see it, click on the nameplate at the top of this page.) This one shows the original, full-format picture taken when Debi and I visited on a recent Sunday afternoon. For more pictures, and an account of our visit, go to her blog Seriously Seeking Answers. While you’re there, take a look around, she “explore[s] religion, personal choices and the meaning of life with fellow travelers. Plus a few recipes.”