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Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year
Your word is waiting, hovering just beneath the surface. All you need is the quiet courage to listen and receive it.
Beginning in around the third century CE, a group of monastics known as the desert mothers and fathers retreated to the deserts of northern Egypt, Syria, and Palestine to pursue lives of silence and prayer. A key phrase, repeated often among the sayings of the desert mothers and fathers, is "Give me a word." This tradition of asking for a word was a way of seeking something on which to ponder for many days, weeks, months--sometimes a whole lifetime.
Fast-forward many centuries to the present day, and we find the practice of seeking a word being reclaimed by the spiritually minded in new ways. For nearly two decades, Abbey of the Arts has posted an online invitation to its virtual community before Christmas, inviting people to listen for a word to guide them in the year ahead. Hundreds of participants look forward to the practice each year.
In Give Me a Word, spiritual director and artist Christine Valters Paintner offers thirty contemplative and creative practices inviting you to slow down and listen for a word to guide you through the year ahead. Instead of chasing after resolutions, Paintner encourages a more mindful approach--letting go of expectations and becoming open to wisdom from unexpected places.
Give Me a Word will gently lead you through the process of receiving your word, testing its resonance, and embracing its meaning. As you reflect on and live by this word, you'll find it offering insight, clarity, and purpose throughout the year. Give Me a Word invites you to enter a season of deep listening, inner growth, and spiritual discovery. Slow down and listen for the word that is waiting for you, and prepare your heart to wrestle with your word in the season to come.
Beginning in around the third century CE, a group of monastics known as the desert mothers and fathers retreated to the deserts of northern Egypt, Syria, and Palestine to pursue lives of silence and prayer. A key phrase, repeated often among the sayings of the desert mothers and fathers, is "Give me a word." This tradition of asking for a word was a way of seeking something on which to ponder for many days, weeks, months--sometimes a whole lifetime.
Fast-forward many centuries to the present day, and we find the practice of seeking a word being reclaimed by the spiritually minded in new ways. For nearly two decades, Abbey of the Arts has posted an online invitation to its virtual community before Christmas, inviting people to listen for a word to guide them in the year ahead. Hundreds of participants look forward to the practice each year.
In Give Me a Word, spiritual director and artist Christine Valters Paintner offers thirty contemplative and creative practices inviting you to slow down and listen for a word to guide you through the year ahead. Instead of chasing after resolutions, Paintner encourages a more mindful approach--letting go of expectations and becoming open to wisdom from unexpected places.
Give Me a Word will gently lead you through the process of receiving your word, testing its resonance, and embracing its meaning. As you reflect on and live by this word, you'll find it offering insight, clarity, and purpose throughout the year. Give Me a Word invites you to enter a season of deep listening, inner growth, and spiritual discovery. Slow down and listen for the word that is waiting for you, and prepare your heart to wrestle with your word in the season to come.
- GenresReligionSpirituality
197 pages, Paperback
Published September 16, 2025
46 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Christine Valters Paintner
35 books147 followersChristine Valters Paintner, PhD is the online Abbess at AbbeyoftheArts.com, a virtual monastery and global community. She is the author of over 20 books on contemplative practice and creative expression including three collections of poetry. She lives in Galway, Ireland where she leads online retreats with her husband John. Christine is a Benedictine oblate, living out her commitment as a monk in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 16, 2025
I have participated in Christine’s yearly online offering “Give Me a Word” through the Abbey of the Arts for a number of years now. Some years it is “easy” and other years it takes a while for a Word to reveal itself to me. In her latest book Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year, Christine invites people to participate in the process of seeking your Word using all of their senses. She invites the reader to slow down, be still, and savor the moment as she guides them through the ancient practice of seeking a Word that will guide them throughout the year.
This particular passage spoke to my heart during my own pilgrimage as I spent time with my ancestors in Nova Scotia, Canada. It also encapsulates her invitation to you. “The invitation to pray with our lives is not about reaffirming what we already know about ourselves but entering into prayer in an openhearted way to receive the grace and new vision offered to us. We pray with our lives as sacred texts to reveal new places of freedom, invitations to new ways of understanding ourselves, and the way God is moving through our stories.” (p. 24) It doesn’t matter when you begin your journey, her invitation truly is timeless and such a blessing, especially in challenging times.
This particular passage spoke to my heart during my own pilgrimage as I spent time with my ancestors in Nova Scotia, Canada. It also encapsulates her invitation to you. “The invitation to pray with our lives is not about reaffirming what we already know about ourselves but entering into prayer in an openhearted way to receive the grace and new vision offered to us. We pray with our lives as sacred texts to reveal new places of freedom, invitations to new ways of understanding ourselves, and the way God is moving through our stories.” (p. 24) It doesn’t matter when you begin your journey, her invitation truly is timeless and such a blessing, especially in challenging times.
March 4, 2026
Whether you’re regularly choosing a word of the year (like I have for the past decade) or you’re just curious about that practice, this is your book.
Discovering a word, one word, that will accompany you through the year and give you an anchor for learning, expansion or exploration, that’s the subject of this book.
I guess it’s the fourth book of Christine Valters Paintner I read, and I must say, as her other books, this one is a marvelous guide for your spiritual journey.
The book focuses on three parts of the word of the year proces: discovering a word, choosing a word and live your year with the word (let it take root in your life).
Every section is filled with meditations and practices that guide you in a gentle pace toward your word, or encourages you to dive deeper in the meaning that this word might bring you.
Throughout this book I highlighted a ginormous set of phrases, as I found them so wise and relatable. I feel that this book (and author) understands the art of meeting you in the exact place where you are.
Will read this book again and again and recommend it to all that want to discover or deepen their word of the year practice.
Thanks to NetGalley and Broadleaf Books for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
Discovering a word, one word, that will accompany you through the year and give you an anchor for learning, expansion or exploration, that’s the subject of this book.
I guess it’s the fourth book of Christine Valters Paintner I read, and I must say, as her other books, this one is a marvelous guide for your spiritual journey.
The book focuses on three parts of the word of the year proces: discovering a word, choosing a word and live your year with the word (let it take root in your life).
Every section is filled with meditations and practices that guide you in a gentle pace toward your word, or encourages you to dive deeper in the meaning that this word might bring you.
Throughout this book I highlighted a ginormous set of phrases, as I found them so wise and relatable. I feel that this book (and author) understands the art of meeting you in the exact place where you are.
Will read this book again and again and recommend it to all that want to discover or deepen their word of the year practice.
Thanks to NetGalley and Broadleaf Books for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
February 3, 2026
This book wasn't really for me as there is a lot of religious content in it. However, that said, there were elements that I found useful and that encouraged me to reflect and journal about.
September 20, 2025
I’ve read each one of Paintner’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. My new mantra is “My life is the fire. Be the wind.” My favorite quote is “If creativity is one of the ways in which we reflect the Creator, then a rule of life that nurtures our creativity is one that can also help us to grow spiritually.” This book will nourish you and guide you. The activities are purposeful and meaningful, guaranteed to enrich and deepen your spiritual journey and bring you closer to God.
September 16, 2025
Christine Valters Paintner’s new book, Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year, is a welcome additiom to what is already, an impressive body of work, becoming one of my new favorites.
Many spiritual seekers currently have a practice of beginning the new year by choosing a word to exemplify and guide the course of their year. But most may not fully realize that the practice of being given a word is a very ancient one indeed, that can be traced back to the origins of Christian communities flourishing in the desert. Seekers in search of guidance from the spiritual fathers and mothers in those communities, often asked to be given a word to aid them in their own spiritual growth and development.
Christine invites us, her readers, not to simply choose a word – but to allow a word to choose us – as we become one with our word. In doing so, we relinquish everything we thought we knew about this simple, yet very fruitful practice. We are asked to engage in deep listening, and through a series of anecdotes, theological and spiritual prompts, references, passages, and practices, we encounter and become firmly anchored into a relationship with that word – until we come to fully embody it.
This book, like so many of Christine’s works, is well organized, clear, cogent, and often delicious in its prose - beginning with an introduction that spells out the journey ahead - rich with examples, suggestions and practices that are adaptable for everyone in every life circumstance.
Many spiritual seekers currently have a practice of beginning the new year by choosing a word to exemplify and guide the course of their year. But most may not fully realize that the practice of being given a word is a very ancient one indeed, that can be traced back to the origins of Christian communities flourishing in the desert. Seekers in search of guidance from the spiritual fathers and mothers in those communities, often asked to be given a word to aid them in their own spiritual growth and development.
Christine invites us, her readers, not to simply choose a word – but to allow a word to choose us – as we become one with our word. In doing so, we relinquish everything we thought we knew about this simple, yet very fruitful practice. We are asked to engage in deep listening, and through a series of anecdotes, theological and spiritual prompts, references, passages, and practices, we encounter and become firmly anchored into a relationship with that word – until we come to fully embody it.
This book, like so many of Christine’s works, is well organized, clear, cogent, and often delicious in its prose - beginning with an introduction that spells out the journey ahead - rich with examples, suggestions and practices that are adaptable for everyone in every life circumstance.
September 16, 2025
The outstanding contribution of this book lies in its countercultural approach and gentle pace—a blessed relief from culture’s fast-lane fantasies driving us to exhaustion. Instead of the latter, Christine Valters Paintner, an experienced guide, invites us into life-enriching alternatives that counter our habitual compulsion to grasp for whatever we want, whenever we want it.
When facing life’s changing seasons or new year thresholds, our hunger for a way-finding word of wisdom finds trustworthy practices in this book—ones whose applications can repeatedly satisfy and sustain us.
The ancient wisdom of the word practices of the desert mothers and fathers nourished many seekers during times of great political and social upheavals—theirs, and now ours. The author conveys the essence of this ancient practice in a contemporary form: thirty days of bite-sized lessons teach us ways to receive, confirm, and commit to the wisdom word we hunger for.
In countercultural fashion, we learn the gift of receiving a word. Rest assured, that word will find us, as we resist busyness and cultivate the stillness and waiting that’s worth waiting for. For instance, the intrigue of chapter twelve, Trust What You Love, offered me a 180-degree pivot point.
What do I love that makes me come alive? Slow-ripening responses now enliven my heart-centered choices and commitments for the seasons and uncertainties ahead.
Each page of this wisdom-soaked book invites us to lean into the practices that teach us how to receive that wise word just waiting to find us.
When facing life’s changing seasons or new year thresholds, our hunger for a way-finding word of wisdom finds trustworthy practices in this book—ones whose applications can repeatedly satisfy and sustain us.
The ancient wisdom of the word practices of the desert mothers and fathers nourished many seekers during times of great political and social upheavals—theirs, and now ours. The author conveys the essence of this ancient practice in a contemporary form: thirty days of bite-sized lessons teach us ways to receive, confirm, and commit to the wisdom word we hunger for.
In countercultural fashion, we learn the gift of receiving a word. Rest assured, that word will find us, as we resist busyness and cultivate the stillness and waiting that’s worth waiting for. For instance, the intrigue of chapter twelve, Trust What You Love, offered me a 180-degree pivot point.
What do I love that makes me come alive? Slow-ripening responses now enliven my heart-centered choices and commitments for the seasons and uncertainties ahead.
Each page of this wisdom-soaked book invites us to lean into the practices that teach us how to receive that wise word just waiting to find us.
September 16, 2025
A Treasure of Wisdom
In this newest treasure trove from Christine Valters Paintner, she offers an array of invitations for the process of discerning a word to carry one through a year, or through a season of life. As Christine writes, “This is a practice of learning to trust in the love that pulses at the heart of everything.” (p. 77)
This beautiful offering by Christine is holistic, creative, encouraging and insightful. It is filled with wisdom from her own experience, the experience of other pilgrims, and insights from numerous spiritual writers, including the desert Ammas and Abbas.
Christine offers many tools that one could engage in the process of discerning a word, including poetry, journalling, photography, movement prayer, music, guided meditation, and contemplative walks, among others.
Some invitations from Christine which stood out for me as I read this book are: listen, notice, a process of ripening, being open and available, attentiveness to the seasons, body wisdom, engage the imagination, patience, waiting, receiving, embodied listening, breath prayer, slow down, and connection.
This book will be a cherished companion on my journey. Thank you Christine!
In this newest treasure trove from Christine Valters Paintner, she offers an array of invitations for the process of discerning a word to carry one through a year, or through a season of life. As Christine writes, “This is a practice of learning to trust in the love that pulses at the heart of everything.” (p. 77)
This beautiful offering by Christine is holistic, creative, encouraging and insightful. It is filled with wisdom from her own experience, the experience of other pilgrims, and insights from numerous spiritual writers, including the desert Ammas and Abbas.
Christine offers many tools that one could engage in the process of discerning a word, including poetry, journalling, photography, movement prayer, music, guided meditation, and contemplative walks, among others.
Some invitations from Christine which stood out for me as I read this book are: listen, notice, a process of ripening, being open and available, attentiveness to the seasons, body wisdom, engage the imagination, patience, waiting, receiving, embodied listening, breath prayer, slow down, and connection.
This book will be a cherished companion on my journey. Thank you Christine!
September 15, 2025
Having participated in “Give Me a Word” online retreats led by this author, I was eager to have this book to create and guide my own retreat each year. The book exceeded my expectations with its compilation and organization of 30 practices to support my desire. Divided into three sections, the author offers 10 creative explorations each to listen for, to receive, and then to incorporate a word or phrase into your spiritual exercises. By doing so, the word or phrase becomes a personal font of wisdom guiding your own daily living. At the end of many chapters, the author shares responses past retreat participants have had from the specific practice discussed. Reading these gently encourages a confidence to develop in your own experiences. While I struggled to find the connection between the exercise and the word in a couple of chapters, it did not interfere with the overall experience and richness of spiritual guidance offered through the book. I recommend this book for anyone seeking ways to listen deeply to what is emerging in their lives.
September 17, 2025
Give Me a Word
Christine Valter Paintner
A review
There are hopefully in all our lives defining moments, times of awe, times of awakening, or perhaps those moments in the presence of the Devine. Two years ago, I was blessed to have such a moment(s), when I was a participant in Christine’s fall retreat “Give Me a Word”
The blessings of the advent retreat were so meaningful yet simple. Stop, breath, listen, be in the presence of the Devine. “A time for peace” was the word given to me and continues to guide me daily.
Christine Valters Paintner has created her book “Give Me a word’, with such beautiful, approachable, conversational language, that now all have a chance to receive that defining moment in their spiritual live. It is such a wonderful gift as a written guide full of spirit and blessing. All who wish to deepen their spiritual life and connection with the Devine now have such an accessible resource for that continued journey. Thank you, Christine for this amazing gift and all you do for so many.
Peter Gunther
Vermont USA
Christine Valter Paintner
A review
There are hopefully in all our lives defining moments, times of awe, times of awakening, or perhaps those moments in the presence of the Devine. Two years ago, I was blessed to have such a moment(s), when I was a participant in Christine’s fall retreat “Give Me a Word”
The blessings of the advent retreat were so meaningful yet simple. Stop, breath, listen, be in the presence of the Devine. “A time for peace” was the word given to me and continues to guide me daily.
Christine Valters Paintner has created her book “Give Me a word’, with such beautiful, approachable, conversational language, that now all have a chance to receive that defining moment in their spiritual live. It is such a wonderful gift as a written guide full of spirit and blessing. All who wish to deepen their spiritual life and connection with the Devine now have such an accessible resource for that continued journey. Thank you, Christine for this amazing gift and all you do for so many.
Peter Gunther
Vermont USA
September 16, 2025
Every time a new book by Christine Valters Painter is published, I wonder how it could be even more enlightening than the last she wrote. And each time I am simply in awe of her gift for speaking to one’s mind and soul. Her latest book, “Give Me a Word,” is both an invitation and a beckoning to go deeper, to fall in love with God all over again. She takes us on a journey accompanied by an ancient practice used by monks to receive a word for the next season of our lives…be that a year or a life turning time that will both guide and challenge us. The book offers a perfect balance between explanation and embodied exploration through a series of practices and meditations that incorporate art, breath, movement, and kinship with creation. If you buy just one book for the coming year, this should be your choice.
September 17, 2025
Give Me a Word is an inspirational guidebook for the journeying soul. Christine intertwines stories and revelations from those who have waited patiently for a word with practical guidance for anyone seeking practices that deepen the spirit and open the heart. Having traveled this road with Christine in the past, Give Me a Word is an authentic account and a true reflection of what is possible. This blend of story, poetry, prayer, and daily practice offers an invitation to anyone who has hope for showing up in a meaningful way each day. Christine is loving and inclusive, offering contemplative practices for everyone: stillness, movement, silence, music, contemplation, journaling, meditation, and always returning to breath. Paulette T.
September 17, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! It was a balanced mix of reflection and practice. The reflections are lovely and to be savored. I moved slowly through them. I was impressed at the number of practices that were detailed. They directions are clear and concise making them easy for both seasoned practitioners or new. I particularly liked the ‘Create a Playlist’ suggestion and Christine’s use of Hildegard as an exemplar for this practice. She is a favorite of mine. I lead two small groups. The material in this book will provide a wonderful resource as a stand-alone group study, or for use to pull into other studies with my groups. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for either individual devotional use or for use with small groups.
September 16, 2025
What a gift to read this book! Full of creative and contemplative practices: meditations, prayers, lectio divina, contemplative walks, (and more). This book encourages the reader to deeply listen and find a word to guide their year- to create a lens to filter decisions and living through- creating a life of purpose and alignment.
Christine’s has a beautiful ability to make spiritual connection and wisdom approachable and deeply meaningful, whether one is religious or not. I am grateful for her work.
Christine’s has a beautiful ability to make spiritual connection and wisdom approachable and deeply meaningful, whether one is religious or not. I am grateful for her work.
October 23, 2025
Christin Valters Paintner has become one of my favorite contemporary contemplative teachers. I love how accessible her work is while incorporating fresh, creative twists on ancient practices. This book guides readers through practices to help discern a word to hold throughout a year. However, I really like some of these as standalone practices and bookmarked some to try with directees and/or groups. I appreciate the variety of traditions she draws from as well as how she incorporates embodiment and movement.
The book is divided into three sections: Listening for the Word, Receiving the Word, and Carrying the Word. Paintner’s writing and wisdom invite readers to slow the pace of our lives and create space for discernment. I love that the work is grounded in the concept of savoring. As always, her work is a breath of fresh air, simultaneously grounding and spacious. This would make a wonderful resource for a pair or group to explore together.
Thank you to Broadleaf Books for my advance copy of this book.
The book is divided into three sections: Listening for the Word, Receiving the Word, and Carrying the Word. Paintner’s writing and wisdom invite readers to slow the pace of our lives and create space for discernment. I love that the work is grounded in the concept of savoring. As always, her work is a breath of fresh air, simultaneously grounding and spacious. This would make a wonderful resource for a pair or group to explore together.
Thank you to Broadleaf Books for my advance copy of this book.
August 6, 2025
Publication September 16th,2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It didn’t fully connect with me, but I think many will enjoy it. It’s a reflective read on the ancient practice of choosing a word to guide your year, with Christian elements and thoughtful insights. It was a quick read for me :)
Thank You NetGalley and Broadleaf Books
The publisher provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It didn’t fully connect with me, but I think many will enjoy it. It’s a reflective read on the ancient practice of choosing a word to guide your year, with Christian elements and thoughtful insights. It was a quick read for me :)
Thank You NetGalley and Broadleaf Books
The publisher provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
January 2, 2026
Really enjoyed this as a first book of the year. I read it all in one go even though she suggests slowing down to read it daily over time. I’m glad to have a grasp of it in entirety and am looking forward to purchasing (listened to audiobook on Spotify first) and doing some of her exercises and prayers and revisiting sections as the year progresses. Parts were a little “woo-woo” for me, hence the downgraded star but still enjoyed overall.
January 11, 2026
I love this practice. I love the author's gentle and intuitive spiritual musings. Abbey of the Arts has been a meaningful community for me for several years. I think this book attempts to extend an invitation to a self-directed retreat, and if you're up for that style, you may enjoy it. I would have engaged with the format more, if shared in community- perhaps a good book club selection or weekend retreat subject.
September 16, 2025
Give Me a Word invites readers to explore thirty contemplative experiences integrating expressive arts with ancient and contemporary voices. The Intent is to listen for a word, receive a word and carry that word into daily living. This book is a treasury of wisdom, creativity, practicality and transformative energy.
October 25, 2025
I always look forward to Paintner’s books! This one did not disappoint. Her work has a unique and powerful way of taking me on whatever journey I am most needing to take.
January 19, 2026
A wonderufl book full of exercises to do around finding a "Word of the Year" for yourself.
January 20, 2026
Very helpful ideas for finding your Word of the Year (WOTY) and keeping an awareness of it throughout your year.
March 17, 2026
V interesting for this type of book. I love it. I found my word
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews