Theresa Wiss
The year I applied to divinity school the application required a response to the following question: Why and how have you come to consider a theological education at this juncture in your life? I wrote that I had known since childhood that my vocation in the world was to express my passion for God. I explained that at thirty-five years old, I found myself unencumbered by marriage, mortgage or any other long-term commitment. I finally possessed the courage and the freedom to formally pursue a deeper understanding of God.
Quite a few years have passed since I wrote that response. I now have a husband, a mortgage and a young daughter to care for. So much has changed in my life – from where I live to what I do for a living. Yet, my longing for greater insights into the mystery of God remains.
In our Christian life, sometimes we can be slow learners. We don’t always catch on to where and how God is working in our lives. I recognize that I have not always responded to God’s presence right away or even in the right way. I am constantly striving to live out the qualities that will help me be responsive to God’s presence. From the long list of virtuous qualities I struggle to embrace, three stand out: Trust, honesty and forgiveness.
Trust
When I rely on my capabilities to discern what is valuable, I am led astray by my vain imaginings. Once I shift my trust away from my personal capabilities and look to God for strength, it becomes difficult to trust my petty strength again. I depend on God to guide me in sorting out the valuable from the valueless in my life.
Father, I have been entrusted with Your Gifts. I trust Your Guidance will show me where and when to share Your Gifts. May I forever place my trust in You as the One who provides all that I ever need. Amen.
Honesty
Once I have placed my trust in God I can afford to be honest. Trust in God removes any fear I might experience around living out the truth of who I am. When I see myself as a child of God, I acknowledge my true identity and the value of speaking honestly of it. “Honesty” means more than just speaking the truth. Honesty is consistency. What I say should not contradict what I think or what I do.
Creator, Your Love created me and made me forever a part of You. Be my eyes and ears so that I may experience peace and harmony in thought, word, and action. My goal is to follow in the way that leads to You. May all that I say and all that I do reflect my goal. Amen.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness allows me to transcend my grievances and experience peace with others and myself. Forgiveness affirms my trust in the goodness of God and in the goodness of God’s creation. We are all interdependent beings – dependent on each other for our moral growth and maturity. I am bound to injure another and even myself along the way. Forgiveness lets me look to the benefits of reconciliation. I hold peace and harmony as a more natural state of my being than conflict and separation.
Father, forgiveness is the means by which my mind and heart return to You at last. May I look to everyone as my brothers and sisters in creation. Allow me to accept others as they truly are – made in the image of God. Amen.
Trust, honesty and forgiveness. Three of the many virtues I could name to help me respond appropriately to God’s presence. What virtues or qualities are you striving toward? What behaviors and dispositions give you the wisdom to discern what God wants for you?
Theresa Wiss is Holy Family’s Director of Youth Ministry. She comes to the retreat center with a background in parish youth ministry. Theresa Wiss also has wide experience in facilitating groups and has been a workshop presenter at Holy Family for several years. She holds an M.Div from Yale Divinity School and presently resides in Simsbury, CT with her husband and daughter.
The year I applied to divinity school the application required a response to the following question: Why and how have you come to consider a theological education at this juncture in your life? I wrote that I had known since childhood that my vocation in the world was to express my passion for God. I explained that at thirty-five years old, I found myself unencumbered by marriage, mortgage or any other long-term commitment. I finally possessed the courage and the freedom to formally pursue a deeper understanding of God.
Quite a few years have passed since I wrote that response. I now have a husband, a mortgage and a young daughter to care for. So much has changed in my life – from where I live to what I do for a living. Yet, my longing for greater insights into the mystery of God remains.
In our Christian life, sometimes we can be slow learners. We don’t always catch on to where and how God is working in our lives. I recognize that I have not always responded to God’s presence right away or even in the right way. I am constantly striving to live out the qualities that will help me be responsive to God’s presence. From the long list of virtuous qualities I struggle to embrace, three stand out: Trust, honesty and forgiveness.
Trust
When I rely on my capabilities to discern what is valuable, I am led astray by my vain imaginings. Once I shift my trust away from my personal capabilities and look to God for strength, it becomes difficult to trust my petty strength again. I depend on God to guide me in sorting out the valuable from the valueless in my life.
Father, I have been entrusted with Your Gifts. I trust Your Guidance will show me where and when to share Your Gifts. May I forever place my trust in You as the One who provides all that I ever need. Amen.
Honesty
Once I have placed my trust in God I can afford to be honest. Trust in God removes any fear I might experience around living out the truth of who I am. When I see myself as a child of God, I acknowledge my true identity and the value of speaking honestly of it. “Honesty” means more than just speaking the truth. Honesty is consistency. What I say should not contradict what I think or what I do.
Creator, Your Love created me and made me forever a part of You. Be my eyes and ears so that I may experience peace and harmony in thought, word, and action. My goal is to follow in the way that leads to You. May all that I say and all that I do reflect my goal. Amen.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness allows me to transcend my grievances and experience peace with others and myself. Forgiveness affirms my trust in the goodness of God and in the goodness of God’s creation. We are all interdependent beings – dependent on each other for our moral growth and maturity. I am bound to injure another and even myself along the way. Forgiveness lets me look to the benefits of reconciliation. I hold peace and harmony as a more natural state of my being than conflict and separation.
Father, forgiveness is the means by which my mind and heart return to You at last. May I look to everyone as my brothers and sisters in creation. Allow me to accept others as they truly are – made in the image of God. Amen.
Trust, honesty and forgiveness. Three of the many virtues I could name to help me respond appropriately to God’s presence. What virtues or qualities are you striving toward? What behaviors and dispositions give you the wisdom to discern what God wants for you?
Theresa Wiss is Holy Family’s Director of Youth Ministry. She comes to the retreat center with a background in parish youth ministry. Theresa Wiss also has wide experience in facilitating groups and has been a workshop presenter at Holy Family for several years. She holds an M.Div from Yale Divinity School and presently resides in Simsbury, CT with her husband and daughter.
