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
As I go through this year I hope to live into and out of the word “courage” – to take the message “be not afraid” to heart and have the courage to trust where the Spirit is leading.
My word is “cherish”. To cherish the precious gifts of the moment, and the gift that is myself.
The word that is resonating with me is “bloom” and I continue to sit with it as it emerges with possibility in my prayer.
Not the word I expected – and yet it won’t leave me. My word for 2015 is descend. First I will descend daily into my lower -level studio having given myself permission to experiment, play and create. And I will go deeper into myself via regular centering prayer rather than constantly scanning my environment for what others want of me. I sense it will be a year of deep interiority so that I may emerge and dance again.
My word is Consent, and it took me several days to consent to it! I do not like to let go of control. The roots of this word mean “together” (con) and “listen” (sent) – to listen together with someone or something, and to yield out of that listening.
My word for 2015 is know. This word is used so often, we hear it over and over, “I know, I know….” But do we really know? It started with the meditation on Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” As I focused more and more KNOW poured through me. Know; understand, be aware, remember, get acquainted with, be familiar with, accept, acknowledge, be with–AND then….If I KNOW how do I live that knowing?
My word for 2014 was receive. This fits perfectly as I still process what I receive, I need to know how to choose, how to live, what to do next with what I know.
I also embrace not-knowing, as not ready or meant for me to know.
What a wonderful word ‘know’ ~K
My word is Mindfulness. My goal is to live in and appreciate the moment; to pay attention to the now and not let the angst of the future or past squeeze the moment into nothing.
My word is Mindfulness. My goal is to live in and appreciate the moment; to pay attention to the now and not let the angst of the future or past squeeze the moment into nothing.
My word is Abundance.
My word is “Abundance”. I have been blessed abundantly by God and I want to share this ever present love in a gentle way with others as 2015 unfolds.