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
I’ve my “word” : Trust in God.
It’s time to heal the relationship with God.
I found it in my spiritual guide’s word and in my prayer : she’s a gift.
Nor she nor the word are expected, not in this way : this is a further gift!
“Sauntering” This word has great appeal to me. Last year I retired and yet I still find myself rushing through life. Where is the rush my spirit asks? I need to learn to walk in a relaxed manner. To be still and allow Spirit to guide me each day. I have decided to walk the Camino this May. Just the act of putting one foot in front of the other through whatever wild terrain I am walking will be I’m sure the centering experience of my life.
My word for 2015: Genuine
At the start of the year, this word is calling me to reach toward what is true to me in my heart. To discover what things I genuinely care about and spending my time and energy there. To nourish my body and soul with real food.
Intention. 2015 will be a year of doing things with intention. Because of personal health challenges and caring for/finding care for 2 parents with different types of dementia, I feel the last few years have been spent in reaction. This year, with my parents safe and my own vision of new work, I will live with intention.
Word for 2015: unfolding
It came to me fairly quickly and remained even after further pondering. It speaks to me of trusting myself and to being fully present in my life. This is my fourth time participating here with a Word and each of the previous three has been a verb, calling me to action. This year, I sense an invitation to greater contemplation within the actions that I undertake.
Word for 2015: unfolding
It came to me fairly quickly and remained even after further pondering. It speaks to me of trusting myself and to being fully present in my life. This is my fourth time participating here with a Word and each of the previous three has been a verb, calling me to action. This year, I sense an invitation to greater contemplation within the actions that I have undertaken.
Finally, my word has made itself known; Devotion.
The past two years have been rather ‘grey’ in general for me. I have been feeling a shift coming since my birthday in November. I know that I need to withdraw into myself more often and connect with The Divine. I am called to joyful Devotion to creating an artful way of being in awareness of the All One in Everyone.
Free
My “new name” this year is “Whole”; my instruction is to “go slow”. I think both will be important for me this year. I teach yoga, and in my classes this next week we will be doing a “white stone” ritual based on Revelation 2:17. What will be your defining “new name” this year? For me, Whole. And I’ve been hearing inside of me pretty often over the past few days, “Go slow”. When we were on pilgrimage last year, Christine introduced the idea of “saunter” to us, and for some reason, it’s percolating inside of me right now as “go slow”.
Thank you Christine.
Landscape. My word came to me on an impromptu labyrinth walk in a park. This year I will be living into landscapes in my life—landscapes of living, loving, longing—and seeing landscapes of the Earth and what they have to say.