Share your Word for 2013
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. The word which chooses us has the potential to transform us.
- What is your word for the year ahead? A word which contains within it a seed of invitation to cross a new threshold in your life?
Share your word in the comments section by Tuesday, January 8th and you are automatically entered for the prize drawing (prizes listed below).
A free 12-day online mini-retreat to help your word choose you. . .
This year I am offering all Abbey newsletter subscribers a gift: a free 12-day online mini-retreat with a suggested practice for each day to help your word choose you and to deepen into your word once it has found you.
Sign up here and you can start your mini-retreat today. Once you subscribe you will receive a confirmation email with access to the mini-retreat content (and you are free to unsubscribe at any time). If you are already a subscriber, the invitation will be in this week’s email newsletter.
Win a Prize – Random Drawing Giveaway on January 7th!
Some wonderful friends of the Abbey have offered fabulous prizes to be included in this drawing held from all of the names who participate:
- from Christine Valters Paintner of Abbey of the Arts: a space in the online Lenten retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
- from Kayce Stevens Hughlett of Diamonds in the Soul: a signed copy of her book As I Lay Pondering: Daily Invitations to Live a Transformed Life
- from Dana Reynolds at Sacred Life Arts: a space in her online class The Book of Wonderment and a signed copy of her brand new novel Ink and Honey
- from Ronna Detrick: a space in her online class Soulstice: Develop a Meaningful Spiritual Practice
- from Roy DeLeon of Now Praying: a signed copy of his book Praying with the Body and personalized body prayer for your favorite Psalm
- from Tess Giles of Pilgrim’s Moon: a print of the beautiful banner art by Rima Staines
- from Velma Frye: a copy of her CD “Seven Sacred Pauses” and “Take Heart”
- from Richard Bruxvoort Colligan: a copy of each of his Psalm CDs “Sharing the Road” and “Shout for Joy”
- from Trish Bruxvoort Colligan of River’s Voice: a copy of her CDs “Breath” and “Unfolding”
- from Mary Sharratt: a copy of her novel Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard of Bingen
- from Waverly Fitzgerald of Living in Season: a copy of her French Republican Calendar for 2013 and a copy of her New Year Dreams E-book
- from Betsy McCall of the Art Monastery: an original art print
- from Paula Huston: a copy of her latest book Season of Mystery: 10 Spiritual Practies for Embracing a Happier Second Half of Life
Pretty wonderful, isn’t it? Make sure to check out the links to their websites for all kinds of goodness and thank them for supporting the Abbey!
So please share your word (and a sentence about what it means for you) with us below. Subscribe to the Abbey newsletter for your free gift. Share the love with others and invite them to participate. Then stay tuned – on January 7th I will announce the prize winners!
844 Responses
Symmetry.
This word came to me early in the retreat and I put it aside looking and waiting for something else, it kept coming back to me. What it will mean to me I don’t know. Yesterday I watched as the Brent Geese, who winter here in Ireland, sweep across the sky in long lines, each goose knowing its place as they supported each other in flight. Maybe, all activates of my life should fit together and there will be a place for everything. Each event supports the other.
My word for 2013 is : Effloresce–to burst forth in bloom.
I struggled to be open to the right word and thought of several, more serious ones, but they didn’t seem quite right. Yesterday I decided to try a SoulCollage to see if anything at all might reveal itself. It did! I’ve posted a couple of photos on the Flickr site of the collage. I found the word in the very back of an old magazine in an ad for a florist shop. As soon as I saw it, I knew the right word had finally found me!
The word I received was Wonder……the invitation to have a sense of wonder …….
I love reading that others have discovered a word that they don’t really know what it means yet. My word is PATH and I am completely clueless as to what God will do with this word in the coming months. Sometimes being clueless, though, is very exciting!
My word for this year is COURAGE. Not so much in terms of bravery, but in acting from the heart.
The past few years have introduced many challenges, and I tend to move into the rational mind. This year, I will follow my heart.
My word is balance.
I was having trouble “finding” a word so I asked a friend for help. She asked what I wanted most in the new year and I immediately said, Balance. I hope to practice this in daily life and also in my spiritual quest.
First, I have to say how much I love reading other people’s posts about their words–sometimes one forgets there are others out there in the world who do crazy things like letting words choose them!
For quite a few days I thought my word was “tender.” I liked the multiple meanings of the word and the fact that it could be used as an adjective, noun or verb; but I just kept letting it be, not really sure if that was the word. And then yesterday as I thought about things that had been going on lately and my own reactions to them, I realized the word for 2013 is “loosening.” Loosening body and feelings, loosening judgments and expectations and reserve, loosening into tenderness, into grief, into deeper relationship with myself, others and God. In celebration of that, I took a walk in the rain yesterday and pretended I was Gene Kelly and splashed mightily in the puddles! Wishing everyone a fruitful and blessed 2013!
As I consider the many unkowns of the coming year, I hear “accept” and wonder what that might mean for me. It might be about suffering and loss, but it might be about surprise and delight. In any case, it reminds me that everything significant in my life comes to me as gift from One worth trusting.
The word that has chosen me is Freedom. I have a bit of insight, but just that. Our youngest of 4 graduated high school in 2012. I have been in the full-time parent role for 28 years as well as part time nurse and nursing educator for the past 30. I have finished my graduate work in theology and am nearly half way through a clinical pastoral residency to become a chaplain. This word came immediately, but just what I need freedom from, or freedom to become, or likely both, I look forward to finding out!!!
The word that has chosen me is “discipline.” I have never liked that word – it brings to mind a teacher rapping a student’s knuckles with a ruler! But I know that spiritual practice and creativity depend on discipline….So, I am being challenged by the Holy Trickster. If anyone knows of some good spiritual books on the topic, I’d appreciate recommendations!
You might check out “Celebrations of Discipline” — I believe it’s by Richard Foster. :-)