Share your Word for 2015
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 Tuesday, January 6, 2015 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. . .
As in past years, 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. Even if you participated last year, you are more than welcome to register again.
Sign up here and you can start your mini-retreat today. Once you subscribe you will receive the first email within an hour and then one email each day for 12 days. Your information will never be shared or sold.
Win a Prize – Random Drawing Giveaway on January 6th!
I am delighted to offer some wonderful gifts from the Abbey and friends and supporters of the Abbey’s work:
- One space in the upcoming online Abbey retreat Illuminating the Way: Epiphany and New Year Retreat with Monks, Mystics, & Archetypes (a fabulous way to begin the year!)
- A copy of Dana Reynolds‘ fabulous gold medal winning novel Ink and Honey
- A 6-week self study course from Dana Reynolds: Your Sacred Life Artisan’s Book of Wonderment
- A New Year Sacred Reading from the Ronna Detrick (let a woman from scripture accompany you into the new year!)
- A copy Betsey Beckman’s fabulous dance of The Creation on DVD (be inspired to dance into the new year)
- A copy of As I Lay Pondering from Kayce Hughlett (a wonderful book of daily reflections to accompany you into the new year)
- A 2015 calendar from Stacy Wills featuring her alcohol ink paintings (be blessed with Stacy’s stunning images each month)
- A copy of Richard Bruxvoort Colligan’s new album Love Stands With, with songs based on justice-oriented Psalms (be moved by powerful music to inspire your heart to prophetic action in the coming year)
- 4 people will win a copy of Sick and You Cared for Me: Homilies and Reflections for Cycle B with one reflection by Christine, plus also Richard Rohr, Rob Bell, Jan Richardson, and many more!
- 4 people will win their choice of self-study online classes from the 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 to receive ongoing inspiration in your in-box. 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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804 Responses
GRATEFUL is my word for 2015. My father died November 29. During the two weeks he was in the hospital there were so many amazing, graced moments and “coincidences.” On his last evening I sat holding his hand for 1.5 or 2 hours. I will never forget its warmth. On his last morning I recited Psalm 23 for him. When I finished with “…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever…” he took one final breath and left for his journey. Of course I cry, but my overwhelming feeling is gratitude. In this coming year I want to look more closely at every moment of life to be grateful for what a gift it is.
My word for the year is SLOW. There’s something deeply important about deliberately welcoming a slower pace as I approach the seventh decade of my life. “Slow” doesn’t mean any less involvement in life, rather a more relaxed and fully attentive savoring and relishing of every moment as I live it. For more of my reflections on “Slow” see my Blog post: http://sheilapritchard.blogspot.co.nz/2014/12/theres-something-important-about-slow.html
Word for 2015: Create~art! Begin to delve into the soul through art each day – write – draw – knit or crochet to honor the beloved within whose light needs to be expressed for the joy it will bring to the world around me and beyond. We are all one.
My word is OK. Approval, assent, agreement, acceptance in two letters! I’m currently using it in a mantra to myself: “I’m ok, it’s ok.” Suddenly everything is ok. :) Kate
My word is “unspoken awakening”. I speaks directly to the unspoken awakening I’m feeling toward my spiritual journey.
My word is TRUST. I have had many uncertain, anxious moments in my life recently and it’s been difficult for me to trust that “all shall be well”. This year, I want to learn to trust again.
My word for 2015 is “Connection”
The words that chose me for 2015 are Divine Union. For most of my life I have been tangled up in personal perfection. God revealed to me that life is not about personal perfection, but Divine Union. So I am being invited into letting go of my own personal perfection and opening to ways to become one with The Holy, and to let that Oneness shine in the world.
Word for 2015 – TRY
My word for 2015 is “innocence.” I have made great strides in my spiritual life over the past couple of years but nagging guilt is still a stumbling block for me, so this year my focus will be dissolving that. I also choose a color for each year, and for 2015 it will be blue.