VIDEO: Father Josiah Trenham – Orthodoxy, Technology, and Social Media

26 thoughts on “VIDEO: Father Josiah Trenham – Orthodoxy, Technology, and Social Media”

1. We need more Father Josiah Trenham’s in this world. Such a great man. Thx for this, can’t wait to see more of your visit w/him!!

2. God bless you father

3. Beautifully said; full of Grace, Love and Wisdom. Our children (10, 9 and 5 1/2, all classically educated — my wife is the Dean of their school) do not have phones or digital devices. A choice we made long ago, even before becoming Orthodox. I believe it was Rod Dreher who said that in 10 or 20 years seeing a child with a digital device will illicit the reaction that seeing a child who's parents had given them a cigarette would illicit today. We are moving too quickly into a realm of untested waters and are yet to even begin to realize the ramifications. His points of keeping the Divine Liturgy sacred and free from digital intrusion were excellent. May God have mercy on us all.

4. Yes, I do agree photographing during liturgy service is not appropriate.

   First of all, it distracts you and all who are attending from being connected with God during prayers making photography the center of attention which makes satan rejoiced.

   Second, it allows the place to look like a social meeting salon rather than a sacred place. This reminds me of the temple where Jesus knocked down the merchants' goods yelling at them you MADE MY HOUSE INTO MARKETPLACE!!

   Thirdly, the church is the body of Christ and whoever is thirsty to knowing God let him/her step forward and join the body of Christ by fulfilling the joyous precious moments at the presence of Holy Throne to prove his/her belief, love and righteousness by keeping the oil of their faith always full to the rim.
   Watching the service through TV screens won't make your attendance official ( if that is the case of the usage of technology sending live performance to the public) which is similar to those fool virgins who slept and postponed filling oil in their lamps as so they missed the opportunity to meet the groom on time so the door was shut by the time they arrived and therefore missed the feast.
   We need to respect the place and fear God because we are sinners. Approaching with respect and humility asking for forgiveness. Not by wasting time taking photos for publicity. Church isn't a museum. It is a hospital for treating the wounds of our souls caused through sin. We're not there to share memories..we are there to make the memories a reality.

5. Thank you, Father. I also wonder if it will be the venue for the Antichrist to gather followers? Performing miracles while the public films and spreads his message?

6. Thank you father

7. During the pandemic it’s been a blessing for Clergy to Livecast services and hold Zoom Bible Studies, children’s and teen Zoom Sunday School.
   Our regular services were always on Youtube Live. The broadcast camera is completely hidden so that nobody can see it.
   We are in a small town but had almost 1000 viewers for Pascha.

8. As any other tool, social media can be used for good or evil. For instance, your lectures, Father, are a blessing for those of us who cannot attend your services because we live tens of thousands of miles away. It's a great medium for preaching too. I myself started my conversion, from Roman Catholicism to Orthodoxy after listening to several of Jay Dyer's excellent podcasts, in particular his video called "Top Ten reasons I'm not a Roman Catholic". God works in mysterious ways.

9. Hey sir, how about stopping disavowing Jay Dyer? He's a great man that's doing the right thing. Of course no one is perfect.

10. Your point about discretion and caution in what parts of the services we allow to be shown publicly is spot on. It disturbs me especially to see the communion of the faithful recorded on video. I am grateful for the parishes that at least point the camera away during that time.

11. I missed Dr. Middleton's spoken introduction ☹️

12. And one more thing that I want to stress about also …
    Many of us may wonder what if Jesus had've been incarnated in an era where technology facility helped His miracles to be broadcasted around the world, live, so that many people would have believed easily?
    The answer to this:
    Jesus Christ didn't show up to be famous and well known for His works that's why He used to do miracles in secret first testing people's faith. Because without faith miracles have no meaning. It is more likely called magic! What Jesus wanted through His miracles was changing one's heart from a dead organ to a live loving one in order to live properly in spirit doing the father's commandments happily.
    Jesus came to call us for repentance. He came to live with every one of us a private relationship leading us to everlasting life.
    May the Holy Spirit be filled upon us all .
    Amen+++

13. Really, why did Jesus not incarnate in the 21st century? Why did He not teach us any new technology? Why did His prophets not teach us any new technology? Why did He ask St Luke of Simferopole to put aside medical research and focus on teaching the word of God?

14. I have a friend in Ukraine that sent me short clips of liturgies he attended as well as some explanation of what was going on. Had it not been for that, I wouldn't be on the road to salvation. I was an athiest for 25 years and after seeing this way of worship and prayer, I knew it was the way things were supposed to be. I knew this way the correct path to God. I thank God for this friend and I thank God for allowing him to show me the path through technology. I understand and respect what is said about filming liturgies and I agree, but I am also thankful that someone did. 🙏

15. One of the best crossovers ever

16. Technology has it's place, like anything it can be misused. But I say if technology brings just one soul back to God than it's surved it's purpose. Through technology we can open our doors to all nations of unbelievers and show the world the beauty of the orthodox faith. A means of reaching an audience that would otherwise never have been possible either through ignorance or persecution. Is the glass half full or half empty?

17. The Orthodox Groups on Facebook need to go. I was treated so badly in 2 different groups. One of them by a Priest. I almost abandoned my Orthodox journey. Had I not reached out to Fr. Tryphon for support, I would still be Protestant.
    I was bullied, ridiculed, humiliated for my questions.

18. Love your work father,I love how you explain everything so accurate,God bless you!God bless us all for what is to come in the near future!

19. A very smart man

20. I just started learning about the Orthodox faith purely through YouTube.

21. Wise words

22. I definitely agree Father!

    Another thing about these devices is that they can be a type of affliction which can destroy prayer lives, ascetic struggles, stillness, and even our non-spiritual lives.

    There is something truly demonic about being addicted to the daily dopamine hit, and constant influx of information with no effort involved in seeking it, with the cut-down attention spans.

    It’s a complete antithesis to the prayer, stillness, and divine communications from the Holy Spirit which the Holy monastics experience.

    I can’t hear someone knocking your door when there is a vacuum running, a party going on, and you’re thinking about a thousand different things at once.

23. Father Josiah, there is a great book titled "The New Media Epidemic" by Jean Claude Larchet. Anyway, May God provide you with Good Health and Wellbeing.

24. I totally agree. Respect to the SACRED PLACE OF OUR LORD.

25. "The medium is the message." — Marshall McLuhan

    "In Jesus Christ, there is no distance or separation between the medium and the message: it is the one case where we can say that the medium and the message are fully one and the same.” – Marshall McLuhan

26. The true Christian faith which is Orthodox was mostly practiced in the Eastern Mediterranean, East Africa, and Eastern Europe, but now Westerners are knowing the truth

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