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
The word that seems to be choosing me is “delight” :)
My word is “Awake Discernment”
My word is lovingkindness.
GIVE
Grace
In
View of
Everyone
This promises to be an exciting adventure in living 2018!
Authenticity.
My word is crossing, like crossing over borders to discover the new, follow the heart, to experience peace of mind.
my words are FLOW DEEP. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/56acf67a08e7e73b638eef7c48320eda1a722202a5681370a5ef6684ae51c86b.jpg fluidity, making longing sacred and deep and flowing, diving deep while moving and flowing! I enjoyed exploring with you all!
My word for 2018 is “well.” I will attend to being well in body, mind and spirit. The word arose from reflection about my interior as a well-deep, cool and still. I’ll be doing yoga teacher training in May, so it’s a good time to focus on wellness. And the word carries a sense of expectancy–well. . .?
My word for 2018 is SUPERFLUOUS. The word chose me early in the retreat, and in an unmistakable way. The word speaks to the excess of the North American lifestyle, my own personality which tends to go overboard, it calls me to sumplicity, moderation, contentment, just one of…rather than many of…
It rejects what is unnecessary and what is wasteful.
This is the first time I participated in having a word for the year and it has been a very meaningful journey.
I now see My word everywhere, reminding me and impacting my decisions.
Thank you!
Ingrid
My word in my world of chaos is ORDER.