What if the fig treewas a live-streamed news reportand when Philipcalled to Nathanael,“Come and see!”it wasn’t Jesus he found but some Jesus flagsand a whole lot of Trump onesand some shirts that said“Camp Auschwitz”andSix Million Wasn’t EnoughandCivil Warnot the Captain America moviebut a remake of 1861 with gunsand flash bombsand zip tiesand gallowsand a mob […]
Author: shannonvtrenton
A poem for Epiphany
The Spirit comes in the ordinary, material, everyday. In water. In touch. In names. Tearing open the heavens from time to time, but just as often p‧e‧e‧l‧i‧n‧g back the corner just enough to p‧e‧e‧k “Taste and see” — “sip and glimpse” And then she leaves the corner loose — it doesn’t go back down as […]
Magnificat, Nullius Minuat
CW: Mentions of sexual assault I wrote this Magnificat-and-not (nullius minuat) litany for a worship service first celebrated December 31, 2017. The sermon is titled, “Magnificat and #MeToo”. It is a call and response between the Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) and an imagined response by Tamar, daughter of David, after she was raped by […]
“The Next Right Thing”
Anyone who has had to sit through one of my Easter sermons knows that, as joyful as I find Resurrection Sunday to be, the holiest part of the Triduum for me is Saturday. I think it is impossible for us to fully grasp the joy and hope and celebration of Christ’s resurrection, to understand the […]
Hans is us: the complexity of Frozen’s villainous prince
Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is either the most underhanded of Disney villains, or the most unjustly accused. The dashing prince, who is set up as a hero for so much of 2013’s Frozen, takes a heel turn so suddenly that it spawned fan conspiracy theories across the Web. (Steve Wetherell and Brendan McGinley […]
Maybe next time, women.
The one where I revisit the hope I had in 2016, and seriously weigh a presidential campaign.
Blessed are those who mourn
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ~Matthew 5:4, NRSV One of the Lenten commitments I made to God and myself is to make praying the Daily Office a daily habit. I love the structure and rhythm of daily prayer, but like so many I find it difficult to actually build up […]
Theological Linguistics
Or, why I make so many movie and video game references So, I have a Master of Divinity degree. I spent three years studying God, religion, and Christianity specifically at the graduate level. I understand biblical Greek, I can discuss doctrinal heresies (and have a favorite), and I am confident in my exegesis. (I’m good […]
A Table Before My Enemies
Psalm 23 is one of the most prolific poems of the Bible, familiar to many outside the Judeo-Christian tent. It’s a poem of reassurance, inviting us to join David as he rests in the comfort and guidance of God. We are not alone, this Psalm speaks softly to us. And not only will God guide […]
Deconstruction and Parenting: King Agnarr in Frozen II
Deconstruction represents the process by which we start to pull at the threads of harmful patterns and beliefs that we have inherited, sometimes over generations. For many, deconstruction includes the role and value of children and proper discipline. In faith communities, it often involves questioning the identity and demeanor of the God we have received. […]