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
My word for the year is FINISH.
Finish what I begin, either by completing the project/action/promise or acknowledging that it will not be completed and laying it aside so there is energy for what really needs to be done.
Thank you for the mini-retreat. The photos were beautiful.
My word is “open.” It calls me to cultivate a sense of spaciousness toward all that is, to make room for the unexpected revelation of truth or beauty.
Occult
…softly calls, do you want to become friends, maybe lovers? Through filthy glass she watches, seeing my sometimes contemplative movements, unpredictable or outlandish innocent acts… sensing my possible readiness for new freedom…
The word finding me this year is really a phrase: “inner landscape”…it is that deep down tilling of the “soul”, discovering what is inside my inner landscape that calls me to freedom, compassion, soul-stretching. It also calls me outside….to appreciate the landscape of others…..different and sacred.
This journey started a year ago when I started writing my gratitude on facebook. This year I am extending my gratitude to folks that I come across. I watched a movie called ” The Letter Writer” This is where I want to focus on this year seeing focusing on meeting people where they are, not meeting folks where I am. Honoring people that I see need to be honored.
My word this year is “dream.” There are so many connotations of the word to explore–the aspect of pursuing a dream, an ambition, a goal of sorts; of being in a dream-like state; of imagining, and realizing. . . . There have been many changes in my life–I’m no longer actively teaching in the classroom; my children have “flown the coop,” and are living their own lives as adults; we have a new home after our last one was destroyed by fire. I am looking forward to the “dream” of creating a new reality.
Honor… God, myself and others.
Compassion
My word for this year is “viriditas”–greening. It came to me while reading Hildegard of Bingen and I have been encountering it, in one form or another, ever since I received it.
I am still sitting with it, but my word so far is “Believing”. Seems an invitation to understand belief is a constant choice, an action, in motion. The word did not present itself as “believe”, but definitely “believing”. I actually found it when watching “Finding Neverland” at 4 am. The word shimmered as they spoke it at the end of the movie.