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 ‘steady’ – steady rather than only being centred when things are calm – steady rather than being blown around by life’s ordinary challenges. Hoping for steady to root itself in my core without displacing a good deal of mischief in my heart :)
My word is about taking opportunities as they arise and self-care :
“Go through the door….out the window”
Having trouble with this process. I can’t say that any one word has come forth, although several seem to have presented themselves: Resonate/vibrate/balance; breath/Word; Spirit; ripen/spring forth/new birth; daddy “Abba” (from a recent dream); and of course, “Joy”. I am a visual person, and I keep thinking of a “mountaintop experience” dream I had on the eve of 12/21/12 and the scenes from it… walking up a forested path with my husband (who silently accompanies me the entire dream), a clearing with an old stone church/hermitage/chapel sort of building, entering into the dark sanctuary, praying for someone, entering into a spiritual state, exiting the building to look out upon a vista of billowy white clouds below, with snow-capped peaks and an orange-colored monolith poking out of the clouds against a blue sky, being in the “spiritual state”, more walking in the forest noticing silent others around, more being in a spiritual state and having to lay down – the others come gather around me and I find I am thirsty and must drink water. They say calmly “that is because something is wrong with your (some internal organ which I forget).” I am not afraid or concerned. I remember this dream – which is unusual – and I KNOW it is a “spiritual” dream. Sorry – I know this is a long post and doesn’t really answer the question. If anything really stands out in this dream, it might be the “spiritual state” I was in. Or the mountain scenery and forest. Or the others, including my husband, just being there…. “state of being” – could that be it? I hardly know what it signifies.
“Impregnate” ~
1. To make pregnant
2. To fertilize and cause to grow
3. To fill throughout; saturate; soak,
4. To permeate or imbue; pervade
5. To infuse or fill completely
My word is “a different way”
“Liminality” – another word for threshold meaning an entrance to the source of wisdom or more precisely being on a ledge or platform ready to plunge into the unknown only to discover that it can be known and is almost familiar.
“Deepen” – move more fully into relationship with the beloved who dwells within me.
i have two words which showed up: teach and love. i’m eager (and a bit nervous) to explore both separately and combined.
“Engaged,” meaning to be fully present in each and every moment, the good and the not so good. To savor life in the hear and now, not to be always future yearning, or past mourning. To still distractions that prevent one from fully attending to the precious gift of each day.
“Listen…” meaning to be open and vulnerable to hearing, holding, honoring the sacred voice of the other — revealed through other people, animals, all creation… God. It means to quiet the inner and outer “chatter” of my own mind which separates me from the other and blocks deepest listening. It means being humble enough to be changed, but strong enough to hear and not be changed.