Share your Word for 2014
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 below by Monday, January 6, 2014 and you are automatically entered for the prize drawing (prizes listed below). Last year we had 840 people share!
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 6th!
I am delighted to offer some wonderful gifts from the Abbey:
- 4 people will win a signed copy of Eyes of the Heart: Photography as Christian Contemplative Practice (mailed directly from me in Ireland to you, anywhere in the world)
- 4 people will win a copy of Naked and You Clothed Me: Homilies and Reflections for Cycle A with two reflections by Christine, plus also Richard Rohr, Rob Bell, Jan Richardson, Fr. James Martin, SJ, and many more!
- 4 people will win their choice of self-study online classes from following: Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert: A Self-Study Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen, Soul of a Pilgrim: An Online Art Retreat, Seasons of the Soul, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art of Reading the World, or Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Contemplative Practice.
So please share your word (and it would be wonderful to include 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 6th I will announce the prize winners!
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680 Responses
My word is “Resistence”. I want to examine the areas of life that I resist and see if I can unravel that in this new year.
My word is unrestrained
Movement.
Of my heart, of my body, of my mind, of my life…growth, spirit, music, breath…all move.
Emergence arrived as my word for 2014!
My word is abundance…I seem to settle for so little when God want’s to give me abundance ,for I sense for all that I have been graced with,I have only received a drop of what He longs to give…
this is only the beginning
My word is Wolverine.
It’s interesting that after this word appeared to me, I googled it to see what message it had for me and this excerpt from a review of the movie “Wolverine” caught my eye…’ Wolverine is a warrior born, and his claws and mutant healing are merely parts of an armor that help him be a more formidable soldier. Without them, he would still be the same man at heart.
However, he also learns to accept this part of himself, and to govern it, because for the first time in his life he’s faced the prospect of death and known what it’s like to hope for a normal life, a normal future. It allows him to be something he’s never truly been before – vulnerable.” ‘
My word, apparently, is REVITALIZE. I’d been down to renew, revitalize, and forgive, though creativity was bandied about for a bit, too. But then I realized that renew, forgive, and even creativity all linked back to revitalize in ways that fit me. I’ve fallen into several ruts over recent years — emotionally, physically, creatively, and spiritually — so it’s time to revitalize everything.
Being on the edge of retirement the word EXPLORATION feels right. This word will hold true in my art and other adventures God may have in store for me.
My word is…Confidence. The kind of confidence that grows out of leaning into the infinite compassion of God that burns in each of our hearts. From this confidence flows an abundant spring of creativity, courage and compassion. There is less second-guessing, less self-doubt. This confidence fuels movement and stepping out…it is open to great joy, struggle and transformation in 2014.
Helplessness is my word .
I read this sentence in a book written by
Agnes Martin and it spoke to me . Helplessness when fear and dread have run their course,as all passions do ,is the most rewarding state of all.
I think the point in trusting in what is ,just as it is