Give Me a Word: An Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year
Nov 30, 2025 – Jan 6, 2026 @ 4:00 pm GMT – 5:30 pm GMT –
with Christine Valters Paintner and Guest Teachers
Since 2008 we have posted an annual invitation to listen for a word to guide them in the year ahead. We would share a few short and simple practices with hundreds of people participating. Now Christine has published a book about the process and this retreat is a companion to it, providing additional guidance and support to contemplate what holiness is birthing within your soul. Each day there will be a different practice offered to inspire, challenge, and support you in listening for the word that wants to be spoken to your heart.
Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year
Order Now Give Me a Word Retreat Reflection Guide Small Group Leader’s Guide Early Reviews “VERDICT An excellent book for readers interested in finding a new meditation technique or nonsectarian spiritual practice or who simply want to slow down and give more depth to their lives.” – Marjorie Mann, Library Journal. Read the full review […]
Give Me a Word 2019: Celebrating 10 Years!
SHARE YOUR WORD FOR 2019 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 […]
New Year Blessings! What is your word for the year? ~ A love note from your online abbess
To the New Year With what stillness at last you appear in the valley your first sunlight reaching down to touch the tips of a few high leaves that do not stir as though they had not noticed and did not know you at all then the voice of a dove calls from far away […]
Give Me a Word (and second annual Abbey New Year Giveaway)
Last year I offered the invitation to my readers to consider a word shimmering for them that might carry them throughout the year. There were 140 beautiful postings and I later created a Wordle from the entries as a celebration of the prayers gathered. I offer the same invitation this year and again some prizes […]
Give Me a Word ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, My newest book Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year has been published by Broadleaf Books! (You can download a free reflection guide or small group leader’s guide here.) The dedication to my book reads: “For all the ancient and contemporary wild-hearted ammas and abbas […]
Christine Interviewed by The Center for Action and Contemplation about Her Book “Give Me a Word”
Christine Valters Paintner sat down with CAC’s Publications Manager Mark Longhurst to discuss themes from her new book Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year. How can we receive a “word?” Christine discusses practical tactics like contemplative listening, dreamwork, and embodiment. She also invites you to embrace nature […]