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 5, 2023 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 11th email and at the bottom of each Sunday following).
WIN A PRIZE – RANDOM DRAWING GIVEAWAY ENTER BY JANUARY 5th!
- One person wins a space in our Lent retreat on A Different Kind of Fast
- Three people win a space each in their choice of self-study retreats
- Five people win their choice of one of our digital albums
- Seven people win one of our Dancing Monk Medallions
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 8th we will announce the prize winners!
475 Responses
Intent.
I have Parkinson’s and I’m learning everything requires intent. Also I’m paying special attention to what my intentions are when I do/say/think things.
Open
Open door of Hope
Lossen, As my outer world lessens, may my inner world loosens.
My grip lossen, my body lossen. The tips of my nerves lossens, my gaze
outward and my focus in with.
Adventure! In addition to this word, the image that kept arising for me through the practice was of a path winding into an unknown future. Now I am noticing paths/gates/walkways/entryways everywhere! Whenever I see one it’s like a lovely grace-filled reminder of “oh yes! Adventure!”. Thank you so much for this guided practice!
My prayer to support my return to Courage –
In breath: Breathe, Surrender, Take Courage
Exhale: Trust Divine Guidance
Embrace came to me after considering accepting. To embrace will require more action. To embrace doesn’t always mean I like or enjoy something, but it will allow me to explore my responses fully and then choose to accept or discard something with thoughtful discretion.
Rock. I live where the Mersey meets the Irish Sea and there are lots of them – black and glistening, or dry, sharp and flat, dangerous and beautiful. Rock is a noun and a verb, it means music and it has meant God in old hymns, it means holding a baby and rocking, it means rocking in prayer and it means rocking in grief.
INVITING. To open to what moves in and through an around me and to feel it as an invitation to explore, ponder, reflect, play with…
ACCEPT
At first, I thought “acceptance” but something was off. Only today when I actually uttered it and my tongue stopped at T that I realized the word is “accept”. It’s an action word and though there are several things I know I’m being asked to accept these days, it’s the implicit push to action that convinced me this is my word. Thank you!!! for this ‘exercise’ of letting the word choose us and all the ‘signposts’ along the way (each day) – really grateful!
“Pause. Be creative in cultivating joy.”
All of these words have been brewing within me for months. I feel confined because of my husband’s health which has led to a resentment I don’t want to have. I also have some issues with my adult son. I chose Pause because I need to do that before I react. Being creative and gardening bring me joy. That needs to be my focus for 2023.