SHARE YOUR WORD FOR 2016
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 January 6, 2016 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.
Subscribe to our email newsletter and you will receive a link to start your mini-retreat today. Your information will never be shared or sold. (If you are already subscribed to the newsletter, look for the link in today’s email).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ON JANUARY 6TH!
We are delighted to offer some wonderful gifts from the Abbey:
- One signed copy each of Soul of a Pilgrim, Eyes of the Heart, The Artist’s Rule, and Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire.
- One space in Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
- 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 we will announce the prize winners!
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712 Responses
Word of the year is renew
Had two new hip replacements Renewed physically spiritually and emotionally for the year ahaead
Restful wandering is the word/phrase that resonnates within me.
Restful wandering
my guiding star
An eagle soars
an invisible wind giving flight
to his wings
Waves roll rhythmically
Snow blankets the ground
giving a sense of peace
and comfort
Foottracks, deer tracks, squirrel tracks
Productivity and accomplishment have no meaning here
where life just seemingly exists
such beauty
such solitude
Life giving moment
where just to be is a blessing
just to be alive is holy
Grateful
Restful wandering
Your words are beautiful. They really resonated with me this morning! Thank you for sharing!
My words are: river pilgrim
I am in God’s river of creative love
I seek to give myself over to the flow
And share what I find…
My word finally arrived this early morning. I see it as a profound teacher to accompany me across the threshold into the new. Stone. STONE. A smooth, heavy, ancient, egg shaped stone that came home with me from Iona, Scotland.
Her patience , stability, solidity, and PRESENCE brings enormous comfort and nourishment after a tumultuous year. My husband of 32 years died last spring and I have not been able to settle into this new and different reality of a life alone.
I have much to learn from this faithful companion. She knows how to settle anywhere, any time.
I, like Diana Trautwein, thought that my “file” would change my small avatar picture! It’s all rather funny as I was going to ask to have this rather large image removed, if at all possible,as did Diana. However, as my word is Acceptance I must learn to accept this misunderstanding and that it’s all part of my process!
The phrase that found me is”joyful pioneering creating”. I am motivated by the tangible and intangible aspects of this. Also the sense of moving forward into new things.
Here is the word I drew in my journal on January 1, before I began reading the Artist’s Rule, and before I read this post – Hope
Hope….that is my word. I hadn’t even see this site, but on January 1 it just seemed right to ask God for a word for this year. Within a few minutes of reflection I knew the word was ‘hope’ and drew and decorated it in my journal. Then I decided to begin regarding the Artist’s Rule’ as part of my morning prayer time (awesome beginning for the new year) and signed up for the newsletter. What do I find but a post on asking for a word. I love it when God does that!
My word is {Betroth}
~ “And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.” Hosea 2.
~ Origin: “1275-1325; Middle English betrouthe, variant of betreuthe (be- be- + treuthe truth; see troth )”
My word for 2016 is change. I am ready to fully become who God intends me to be and look forward to the adventure of change in the New Year!!