SHARE YOUR WORD FOR 2018
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 5, 2018 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 the Sunday email).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ON JANUARY 6TH!
We are delighted to offer some wonderful gifts from the Abbey:
- One space in our upcoming New Year’s online retreat – The Wisdom of the Body
- One space in our Lent retreat – Watershed Moments in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
- One space in our online program Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
- 4 people will win their choice of our self-study online retreats
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!
433 Responses
As 2017 slips away and the threshold to 2018 quickly approaches, the word that keeps finding me is TRUST.
Children are born with an innate trust at their first breath. As we get older it seems that trust morphs to varying degrees depending on what our life’s circumstances have been.
Outwardly we can appear to trust.
It is what stirs within us however that reveals our inner truth and ability to give everything freely over to God.
A life time of dragging the “heavy baggage”, all the “stuff” we may think we have let go of; our hearts and minds learn to pretend that we do trust, to a point that we really believe we do.
It makes no difference if a person loves very deeply, hurts deeply, mourns deeply or even rejoices fervently.
Somewhere deep within us when we struggle with anxiety, fear and ruminations in all the in-between times, all of these are contrary to trust.
Surrendering to the holy Spirit can heal us and restore trust in our life.
Trust is allowing the holy Trinity tp guide us on our journey through the many thresholds that meet us.
Trust is accepting challenges that occur as we cross these new thresholds while at the same time releasing the anxiety that binds us.
I know that with each new day, upon awakening, to offer it all over into the Light. It isn’t enough to say “thank you Lord for another day.” What needs to be said from the heart is “This new day Lord, with gratitude, thank you. I place all my TRUST in you.”
The Word that chose me is HEART…..I was on the way to choosing another word and then on Day 7 (Christmas Eve) the word HEART began choosing me … what a delight that turning point was. I allowed HEART to ripen and committed to it as my Word for 2018. I am filled with great JOY, awe & wonder as I anticipate how God and I will partner together with this beautiful Word in the new year ahead. Thank you, Christine, for once again offering us this meaningful opportunity and guidance to Journey to our Word for 2018!
My word is Surrender. In the sense of surrendering to God and his immense love for me. But also abandonment into his arms in complete trust. And also in the sense of releasing – what do I need to release and let go of? So a surrendering and abandonment of myself into the arms of my Good Shepherd and also an openness to surrender and release what is holding me or what I’m clinging on to. Much food for thought and prayer.
My word to carry into 2018 is Mercy. Mercy to ourselves, our past and to others.Pope Francis often reminds us that mercy gives us back our tomorrows and I would like to take that sense of hope into the New Year
My word is “Change”. I plan to be more gentle with myself.
Mystery.
I’ve got two brief phrases:
Archer’s paradox and
inner Bohemian;)
My word is ‘believe’…for a year of unknowing and transition.
“Bridge” – I am supported and I am a bridge that helps connects the Divine to Community through my service to God.
My word this year is Awareness. For me the word is a reminder to live in the present moment and to focus on “emptying the head and filling the heart”. (R. Rohr) This might also include listening to what my body’s wisdom is offering me. I am called to focus more on others. (Gee, it is not all about me!) And to surrender to the reality that all IS well.