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
Begin.
My word for the year is “enthusiasm” which means God within. It was a common trait all my life, but seems to have dwindled a bit over the years. It’s now time for it to resurface as I gather together the different strands of creativity that I love and offer to use them in any way God chooses.
Surprisingly my word came to me on the second day of reflection. In the past it has taken much longer. The word is…courage: having the courage of one’s convictions, the confidence to act in accordance with one’s beliefs. What struck me was “What is the invitation or call rising up from these noticings?” “Where is God calling you to a new awareness or action in your life?” Will I have the courage to answer the call and follow through?
My word is Reflect. I hope to reflect the light and love of Christ, as well as become more reflective and mindful in my daily living and writing.
The call for a word gave me a momentary panic — perhaps I froze a bit, like the unprepared student called upon in class. Then, as I sat and allowed myself to listen, a word did come to me…Embracement.
Interestingly enough, I hadn’t even considered responding, nor had I seen this page until I had rolled the word about in my mind and heart for a bit. Then, I felt, perhaps it might be of value to others…
There is a dictionary definition, but when the word came to me, I hadn’t even considered that it might be a word in common usage. The word ‘Embracement’ came to me with its own definition in the moment: The fact or condition of total acceptance, wonder, and reverence for all that we are given to experience. —
Enjoy…
Andy M.
Hope is what calls to me. Not ephemeral ungrounded hope (I hope I can lose 10 pounds this year) but Hope that is grounded in faith that we are not alone in this life.
When at the arrival of 2017 I was resistant to the resolution requirements and expectations, I stumbled upon the idea to choose a “word for the year”.
I eagerly embraced that idea and the journey began! In hindsight,
I now know that the word chose me.
This word is my sacred word in contemplation.
This word is powerful.
This word is a threshold to other powerful words.
This word opens the door to surrender and transformation.
This word now lives in my heart.
This word shall remain my sacred word for 2018
…and longer if led to be so.
Frederick Buechner writes, (BUECHNER 101)
“I am the way,” Jesus said. “I am the road.”?…the only road that matters.
T – R – U – S – T
The world is full of dark shadows to be sure,?both the world without and the world within, and?the road we’ve all set off on is long and hard and?often hard to find.
But the word is TRUST.
TRUST the deepest intuitions of your own heart.?TRUST the source of your own truest gladness.?TRUST the road.
?Above all else, TRUST him, TRUST him.?TRUST him. Amen.
Notice the Object of the word: TRUST – him.
Maybe it should look like: trust – HIM!
The Object of all the other powerful Words is HIM, as well!
Love – HIM.
Surrender to – HIM.
I cling to the promises of HIM as I journey into 2018,
TRUSTING HIM in all circumstances. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e75674942041930d1cc7a7d19d99db4212b79b1e0459ae10f5130a39183e4ce4.jpg
PERMISSION is the word that found me and we’re already motoring around together making conscious, sometimes surprising, choices.
My word came to me a week ago, Aware. It calls me to slow down to be in the present moment, to see, feel and hear and just be. I tend to be in my head most of the time, so this will be a challenge, to be Aware.
My phrase is “radical acts of hospitality”. It calls to me in this time of helping care for my parents in their 90’s. Such an honor to be able to offer care to them. I long to be loving and welcoming to my parents, to myself and to others.