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
Nonpermanence
The word that chose me is amidst. It shimmered for me as I noticed that so much of what I was writing included this word. It struck me. There is an invitation to notice the Divine amidst whatever I’m facing or dealing with or to notice what I am in the middle of, what I am surrounded by what I sense to be true, what is real, what is present. I’m curious to see how the significance of this word unfolds in the year ahead.
The word that chose me this year is open–Open eyes, open hand, open home, open heart, open.
My word is transformation, as I head into the new year I am hoping to continue deepening my spiritual self embracing God’s presence every moment of the day
The word that found me is “wait”. It is something that is hard for me to do — and I’m at a point in my life where I feel as if there are things I need to do now before it is too late. But I’ve also been known to be impulsive — to look before I leap, often with sad consequence. So when I start feeling like it’s time for me to DO SOMETHING, a quiet voice inside tells me to wait. Wait for life to unfold instead of trying to engineer it. Wait for further instructions. Just wait…
My word – seventy
The word dwelling in me this year is STOP.
Stop and stand still,
Stop and wait,
Stop and allow God to “untangle the knot’.
STOP!
CLEARING…….!!!
My word, strangely enough is SLIDE. As I walked through the forest today my feet we sliding back and sideways on the muddy path that is now exposed due to extreme snow melt. Sometimes we need to be unsteady on our feet before we reach solid, dry ground and regain our balance. A good metaphor for life situations, I think when we are seeking a sense of equilibrium.
Reach. Be open to, and intentional about, exploring new opportunities available in the New Year.