In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to the divine 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, 2022 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, we are 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, December 5th email and at the bottom of each Sunday following).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ENTER BY JANUARY 6th!
- One space in the Virtual Celtic Pilgrimage: The Wisdom of the Irish Saints Brigid, Ciaran, & Gobnait
- Four people will win their choice of our self-study online retreats (with 18 to choose from!)
- One signed copy of Breath Prayer: An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
- One signed copy of The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems by Christine Valters Paintner
- One signed copy of Dreaming of Stones: Poems by Christine Valters Paintner
Please share your word with us in the comments below
(and it would be wonderful if you included a sentence about what it means for you)
Subscribe to the Abbey of the Arts newsletter to receive ongoing inspiration in your in-box. You can choose daily, weekly, or monthly. Share the love with others and invite them to participate. Then stay tuned – on January 9th we will announce the prize winners!
79 Responses
My word is ENTER. Enter into possibilities that are “not yet” but waiting to be discovered.
And now let us welcome the New Year
Full of things that have never been. —Rainer Maria Rilke
My word for this year is Providence. An old word, but one that reminds us that we’re are cared for and that we have provided for us all we need. The rest is usually things that we want, but don’t really need. Recognizing the difference helps me keep from cluttering my life with the superfluous.
From Charlotte Robinson: Peace
Prayer is within all things in each moment
Everything cries holy if spirit listens
All of creation bursts with Your grace
Christen me into the cave of the heart
Every breath carrying profound mystery of love
the word that chose me is ENOUGH. It was a lovely evolution from reduce/simplify/gratitude. I look forward to exploring through the year what it means to live ‘Enough’.
Enough chose me, as well, Elizabeth.
My word is Resilience – embracing rebounding, recovering, adjusting to change and leaping into the flow of life.
My word is Dance. I visited several words but this one shimmered from the beginning. I feel I am being invited to join the Great Dance of Creation.
From Elena Bunnell: Enough
Mary
My word is Emerge/Emerging. I’m really happy to be apart of this group & grateful to my friend for sending me this link to join. I look forward to seeing how I emerge through my fears into this new year & come out the other side with tremendous growth … Amen ??
my word is true ~ live yourself true ~
with deep gratitude.
My word is Mystery
Remember the mystery