Last year I offered the invitation to my readers to consider a word shimmering for them that might carry them throughout the year. There were 140 beautiful postings and I later created a Wordle from the entries as a celebration of the prayers gathered. I offer the same invitation this year and again some prizes to give away:
In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to God and to their own inner struggles at work within them. The desert became a place to enter into the refiner’s fire and be stripped down to one’s holy essence. The desert was a threshold place where you emerged different than when you entered.
Many people followed these ammas and abbas, seeking their wisdom and guidance for a meaningful life. One tradition was to ask for a word – this word or phrase would be something on which to ponder for many days, weeks, months, sometimes a whole lifetime. This practice is connected to lectio divina, where we approach the sacred texts with the same request – “give me a word” we ask – something to nourish me, challenge me, a word I can wrestle with and grow into.
Last year my word for the year was sovereignty and it ripened in me as the year unfolded leading me to new discoveries about myself. I resisted the word at first, as I didn’t like the sound of it. But I knew in all the internal energy it stirred up that I needed to pay attention. When I allowed my heart to soften, the word began to shimmer in me, rang long and clear like a chime (hint: sometimes the word which creates resistance in us is the one we most need to pay attention to).
This year my word is sanctuary. This past week I had to go to the emergency room while alone in a foreign country because of leg pain and shortness of breath. I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and a blood clot in my leg and admitted to the hospital for two nights of treatment and observation. I am being medically supervised now and will be fine, but the experience was dis-orienting in many ways (in the sense of calling me to a new orientation). I have much to process in the coming weeks, but for now I remember as I lay there in the midst of unknowing, that my thoughts were aligned to home, to my husband, to my friends, to my heart-expanding work, to a longing for the refuge of the familiar, but also a profound sense of sanctuary right in the midst of where I was. The sanctuary in a church is the place where the holy of holies dwells, but we also create sanctuaries for animals needing protection or for persons fleeing persecution. The layers to this word and how it seems to reach out to me prompts me to choose it as my word for the year to see what else it has to reveal to me.
- What is your word for the year ahead? A word which contains within it a seed of invitation to cross a new threshold?
- What word, phrase, or image is shimmering before you right now inviting you to dwell with it until it ripens fully inside of you?
Share your word in the comments below before Monday, January 3rd.
Leave your word for the year ahead in the comments below plus a couple of sentences describing your choice. Please note that I have my comments moderated (meaning I need to manually approve them) so it may not show up immediately, but should within 24 hours.
343 Responses
My word is listen. It is actually “be-still-listen”. It came to me over and over during the advent season. Even as I spoke, which was filled with opinion, I could hear the whisper reminding me to “listen”. And so it will be. I will listen to the elements of my heart and soul, nature, and the conversations of strangers, whose sharing has nothing to do with me, and yet so often I have found great wisdom in a word overheard.
Christine, I’m so sorry to hear of your health issues but happy that you are getting good care and that it can be treated/managed.
My word for this year is an unusual one for me to pick and indicated to me that something quite profound has shifted in a most positive way. My word is BOLD and it came to me in December when I realized I’m done with tip-toeing through life. I am living it boldly in all the ways that count to me….boldly joyful, boldly content and boldly participating in life.
Happiest of New Year blessings to you!
Two words were given to me – neither are words I’d pick – but together they are given. My words for 2011 are “prophecy” and “wisdom”.
“Egress” is the word that comes to me for 2011. I am curious about where it may lead since it can be a verb or a noun. Egress also sums up recent urgings. Before I received your invitation to allow a word to surface I’d had a significant dream where every time I was near an egress I found myself halfway out of it, sometimes before I even realized it was there. Every egress I was near pulled me like a magnet. I have a sense that I am going and/or coming out this year.
fascinating Ramona. I had to look the word up and I love it. Hmmm think there is new freedoms coming your way this year Col
I know it is past the deadline but I wanted to share my word anyway! Breathe. When stress, indecision or other difficult situations arise I forget to do something as simple as breathe. My goal for this year is to incorporate breathing mindfully into my days and allow myself the peace that comes with each gentle inhale and conscious exhale.
Best wishes for a beautiful 2011!
my sacred word for 2111, Awe, beginning reflections:
Awe – to daily recognize and receive newness and surprise;
to become attuned to, living within and from the paradox of Awe,
a “trembling” of possibility;
to be Amazed; to praise Creator God and God’s cosmos with posture/gesture,
word/phrase (if rises) of joy for the mystery of personal and communal relationships and the natural world;
in turn, to pass the gifts forward.
my sacred word for 2111, is Awe. I placed beginning reflections on Epiphany
discussion.
My words are TREE/TRUST again in 2011. They begged me, “please, please, please let us be present and journey with you another year!” I am welcoming them with open arms and heart.
Haha I love your trees. My word is ‘presence’ and I also have trees like your trees saying “listen listen please, learn from us” I am in aussie in mid summer and our eucalypt trees are letting go and peeling off their bark exposing smooth trunks of gorgeous colours and as I walked today they were reminding me to let go of the baggage let go be like us strong and free. Thanks Col
My word for 2011 is “Balance”…to live from that innerplace that is so centered it is possible to move in whatever direction the Holy invites…
Oh Susan, what a wonderful way to consider the word. I have so much trouble with physical balance…. perhaps if I learn more innerplace balance, my “place in space” might improve. Thank you. And happy 12th Night.