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
Repose
This word attracts me. I’m not sure what it will teach me, but after a year of experiencing several significant losses, I wonder if I need to learn again how to rest, how to be at peace with what is and embrace simplicity.
My word is “here”. I’ve held and let go a lot of words in the past days. Today I rushed into an email that was on my “to do” list and the receiver, in the way of a friend, reminded me that a “happy new year” might be in order. I asked, after I apologized, for wisdom on a word. Here. Here, has a lot to teach me,
I had this word in November, and then as I sat with it, it changed…but then it came back. It is SIMPLICITY. At the age of 62, I am feeling a strong urge to simplify my life, get rid of excess baggage, and bring a simple uncluttered joy to my life. It will require some work this year, but I’m game to begin!
My word is ‘await’.
I thought it might be ‘wait’ but ‘await’ seems a more true reflection of where I am at the present moment in time. ‘Await’ feels more active and not simply a passivity to what may be this coming year. I feel no obligation to move myself in any particular direction as I am enjoying the present for what it is giving me right now.
My word for 2013 is EMERGE — emerge from a year of grief and hard challenges, see what wants to emerge in me. In the Online Etymology Dictionary I found “rise out or up, bring forth, bring to light. The notion is of rising from a liquid by virtue of buoyancy. ” And then I returned to this from Kathleen Dean Moore’s book Wild Comfort: “There are waves—the chaotic movement of time and substance, change through time, the living and the dying, the striving and the giving up, the struggle for meaning and safety, this beauty and danger. There is water—the form of this, the transparent substance, the fact of lifting, that grace. Waves can dash us down. But water will hold us up.”
~Beauty~
I have been reading a book by John O’Donohue titled Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.
For a long time I have struggled with whether or not beauty has any purpose. As a visual designer, I often feel as though what we see has no meaning. Does it matter if the wall is gray or yellow?
O’Donohue has helped me realize that beauty is a gift from God. Instead of pushing it aside and saying it has no significance, I want to be more aware of and grateful for beauty in 2013.
My phrase is: Natural Mysticism
This has to do with the beauty and mystic features of nature itself as well as “following nature”. I find myself back in my home town in MN – having moved back from Seattle. I received a mystical message that it was “time to go home” and within that contains a God-blessed family story. :-) My 1st full week back there was a beautiful snow fall – the 1st of the winter season. I walked out to a pier on a nearby lake at dusk. It appeared absolutely serene, calm, peaceful, and absolutely mystical. Out on that pier I felt closer to God than I have in a long while. I thanked him and the natural world for all the wonderful events and blessings in my life. Even though I continue to search for work and am down to my last few dollars – my heart and soul are content – knowing that I have listened and followed into this Natural Mysticism.
I have a great picture that shows the place of which I speak. Happy to share if I knew how. :-)
God bless you Christine and all that you do. I attended your Creative Spirit workshop this past summer out by Hood Canal. It was amazing! Thank you.
My word took forever. I tried breathe, I tried stretch, I tried relax. Then I read suffuse in one of your posts.
That was it. Suffuse. Bouyant, spread out, integrated.
Suffuse.
Hi… I have so many words rolling over me that to choose seemed impossible. One Word only? Eek. Even sitting here writing, I still have not chosen . And when I am done writing this I will know.
Last night reading Christine’s news letter. I was struck in the heart with the poem by Hafiz
.
Just sit here right now
Don’t do a thing
Just rest
For your separation
From God is
The harder work in the World.
I started to cry. it was so unexpected and heart opening. I still feel the tears well just writing it and letting it pull at my heart.
The word that chooses me for this year. STILLNESS.
‘Be still and know God.’
I received a FB quote that helped me with finding a word.
“Well done is better than well said” – Benjamin Franklin.
“Service” – is my gentle reminder for growth and transformation through my actions as well as my being and thinking. There is a swinging back and forth that is important for my wholeness.