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 is ‘Believe’.
Journey!
My word is journey…but not as a noun, as a verb…this year will be an incredible journey of self compassion, loving curiosity, and loving kindness. Today when I wrote up a list of tasks that needed to be done, I stopped, thought about it and then titled the list “steps on the journey.” Everything I do will be thought of as another step into the mystery of life, whether it is paying bills or going on a retreat….I will be doing a lot of the jouneying within, a never ending source of new “sights and sounds!”
My word for 2013 is “growth”. It’s been the main word that has come to mind over the past month or so when I would think about 2012 and all that happened and then about what 2013 held for me.
Just that one word makes me feel excited – about what I will encounter over the next year, about the growth that I know I will experience. I have recently been making art a part of my daily life – and it has reached the point of almost being a necessity each day for me. Being creative, finding a way to express myself through visual renderings – it’s something that I’ve felt a need to do for years, but only learned how to bring it out towards the last quarter of 2012. I can’t wait to see how I grow artistically this year!
My word is RELEASE, both in the sense of releasing/letting go of fears and lies of the past as well as being released into the fullness of life in which I have been called to live, being released into my calling. I created a little video for my word on my blog that posted today: http://bodytheologyblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/forward-friday-blooming-tea/
My word is STORY.
To share my story
to listen to stories
to retell story
to receive the wisdom of story
to create story.
In the telling of STORY, there is
reclamation
discovery
collecting of ideas, dreams, thoughts
movement
editing,
drafting.
STORY honours
the teller
the listener
the creator
the essence
The vessel in which the STORY is held may be
written
oral
music
art
dance
silence
ritual
companionship
memory
Out of STORY emerges
compassion
awareness
empathy
gratitude
hope.
My word for this year is “hidden.”
I’m not sure what it holds for me, but it feels right and like a gift, and I’m eager to see what comes.
The word that has come to me is “abundance”. 2013 will be the Year of Abundance. This has nothing to do with material or monetary things. It is rather an invitation that I live in an abundance of grace. I am also being invited to live from and in a place of abundance of love. The call is to be abundantly aware of the Holy Presence which surrounds me. Happy Abundant New Year to All!
My word for 2013 is gentle. It has become especially meaningful in my centering prayer time. It is the invitation to continue to return to the deep, abiding love always available to me. I trust at the end of the year I will see its impact as I did last year’s word – Breathe. Amazing how that word and experience has transformed me, may Gentle have its way as well!
Salmon.
Streamlined, with deeply planted instinct.
Maybe something about calling and having a body for low resistance.
The past two years, my word has been a true companion of challenge and grace. Thanks to the Abbey for this community to witness our year-words.
My word is GRACIOUSNESS to try to help me not to sink into despondancy and not so gracious replies to others whom I feel may be ungracious to me and to try to practise this in our hopitality department!