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
RELAXATION
finally it emerges!
NOT relaxation itself, at this point, but the word- I came upon other words but none of them can truly greet me and be with me until RELAXATION comes along-
This is not an easy word for me……..I asked for a definition and ….low and behold it is NOT laziness [which I have perceived that it was, for, well, close to 56 years now!….oops…there’s an issue to look at!!]
It IS “a loosening, slackening therefore enabling equalibrium”
Sounding delicious, yes?!
gayle
gayle
Gratitude. A very common word but one that I want to become more deeply present to.
Receive Mercy is the that has chossen me word.
For as the heavens reach beyond earth and time,
we swim in mercy as in an endless sea.
Psalm 103:11
Hidden
Healing
The word that speaks to me for 2013 is “yes”. I will be 70 this year. For most of my life I have responded to invitation with a reason to say no or maybe. I am looking forward with anticipation to saying yes.
My word for the year is “awakening.” My partner John was killed in a car accident on November 3rd. It was a stunning event. I was stunned by a horrible loss. But I was also stunned in a beautiful way by the waves and waves of support that came to me. I work with the Tarot and Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot has a card called awakening that shows people in community supporting each other as they open themselves up to Divine spirit. This was the picture that came to me to describe this support and for 2013 I want to answer that call to awaken … to community … to spirit … to mystery. Thank you for listening.
My word for 2013 is “conversations”, although for some reason i am having a hard time claiming it. I look forward to finding out why…
Life is a conversation.
Stillness. For weeks, I’ve been hearing the message inside, ‘I need to to live my life out of the center (instead of my life leading me!) ” Then comes TS Eliot’s lines from ‘Burnt Norton’, “At the still point of the turning world… there the dance is.” I can only find that point, and that dance if I find my way back to the center, and seek the stillness that can be found there — in the midst of all the busy-ness, the work, the challenges, the griefs and joys.
My word is “authenticity” . I was pondering faith and trust but as I was trying to empty my mind to see which one was calling to me the word authenticity came to me. For 35 years I was married to a minister and played the role so well that I no longer had any idea who I was. The last few years I have had to have faith and trust that my life was going where is should be. Now is the time to ponder the authenticity of my life.