Josiah Trenham's Blog

“The present life is a wrestling school, a gymnasium, a battle, a smelting furnace, and a dyer’s house of virtue” – St John Chrysostom

Friday, Feb. 20th, 2015

Friday of Cheesefare Week

Dear Ones

Blessings! and Greetings on this Friday of Cheesefare Week. This week we abstain from meat and poultry, but all other foods are permitted every day this week (including today).

Movieguide’s 23rd Annual Faith & Values Awards Will Be Broadcast on REELZChannel Tomorrow

In 2014 I was invited to join the organizing committee of the World Congress of Families #9 which is coming to the USA for the first time since its inception in 1997 in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. This major pro-family movement and conference coming to Salt Lake City, UT Oct. 27-30, 2015.This conference will draw national leaders from the political, religious, academic, artistic and business worlds who stand committed to the natural family (husband, wife, children), to traditional marriage, and to inspiring youth to carry the family torch. My job is to be an Orthodox ambassador of WCF-9. In this role I was invited several weeks ago to attend the annual Movieguide Gala in Hollywood, Ca. Movieguide is a non-profit ministry that runs a website, TV program, radio show and internet resources dedicated to redeeming the values of the entertainment industry. The annual awards gala honors family based movies, TV, and music. During the evening there was opportunity to meet public figures, movie directors, religious leaders, writers and actors at the forefront of family friend entertainment. I was greatly encouraged by the emphasis on faith and the positive changing trends in the entertainment industry. The CEO of Movieguide, Dr. Ted Behr produces an extensive annual report, rating every movie produced in Hollywood on 20 different subjects – including morality, faith portrayal, and family friendliness – and documents that the largest grossing movies are those that are family friendly. When Movieguide started in 1985 only 6% of the movies were aimed at families; by 2008, 45% were. Those family films grossed an average of 200% better than movies targeting an adult only audience. In 1985 81% of movies were rated R. Since 2011 less than 40% of the movies have been R. In 2009, only 2 of the top 25 grossing movies were R ( for more on this see – movieguideawards.org). The 23rd annual Movieguide awards gala will be broadcasted on Reelz, Saturday Feb. 21st, 7pm EST. If you watch, look up front at table #11 and you might see me there. Here are a few fun pictures for our young people to laugh about.

Father J with Sadie Robertson and her beau of DUCK DYNASTY FAME

Father J with Connor who played “Colton” in HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

Billy Boyd who played “Meri” in LORD OF THE RINGS

Father J with friends, Mr. Larry Jacobs (Internatinal Director of World Congress of Families, Pastor Greg Johnson – Board of NAE, and Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church- San Diego

Among the Ten Best Movies for Families in 2014 were: “Heaven is for Real” (winner of The Best Movie for Families),

“Son of God,” “God is Not Dead,” and “Dolphin Tale 2.”

“Unbroken” was the Best Movie for Mature audiences.” Others in the top 10 included: “The Giver,” “Divergent,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.”

Other prizes awarded by Movieguide (a World Congress of Families Partner), included: The Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Movies, the Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays by First-Time And Beginning Screenwriters, and the Faith & Freedom Award for Television.

www.movieguide.org

Father Josiah Speaks at Conference at FOX Theatre Tomorrow

Please pray for me as I give a 20 min lecture entitled “Pastors and Politics” and share the podium with Governors Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry, as well as other well known speakers. For more information or to register for the conference go to http://www.uniteie.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/91406...

News on Father Gerasim – Symposium Speaker and Homilist @ St. Andrew 2 Weeks Ago Just Nominated for Bishop

http://ocl.org/oca-diocese-of-the-south-nominates-archimandrite-gerasim-for-vacant-dallas-see/

Raymond Ibrahim on the Slaughter of the 21 Coptic Christians by ISIS in Libya

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/02/raymond-ibrahim-christian-slaughter-in-libya?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=19a971f647-Daily_Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-19a971f647-123474737

The Muslim murderers need a little history lesson. They call these Coptic Christians “Crusaders”- though they are the natives of Egypt.

A Psychiatrist’s Letter to Young People about Fifty Shades of Grey

Miriam Grossman, MD

this letter has been forwarded to me by Fr. Timothy Pavlatos

There’s nothing grey about Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s all black.

Let me explain.

I help people who are broken inside. Unlike doctors who use x-rays or blood tests to determine why someone’s in pain, the wounds I’m interested in are hidden. I ask questions, and listen carefully to the answers. That’s how I discover why the person in front of me is “bleeding”.

Years of careful listening have taught me a lot. One thing I’ve learned is that young people are utterly confused about love – finding it and keeping it. They make poor choices, and end up in lots of pain.

I don’t want you to suffer like the people I see in my office, so I’m warning you about a new movie called Fifty Shades of Grey. Even if you don’t see the film, its message is seeping into our culture, and could plant some dangerous ideas in your head. Be prepared.

Fifty Shades of Grey is being released for Valentine’s Day, so you’ll think it’s a romance. Don’t fall for it. The movie is actually about a sick, dangerous relationship filled with physical and emotional abuse. It seems glamorous, because the actors are gorgeous, they have expensive cars and private planes, and Beyonce is singing. You might conclude that Christian and Ana are cool, and that even though their relationship is different, it’s acceptable.

Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated by a Hollywood studio. The people there just want your money; they have no concern whatsoever about you and your dreams.

Abuse is not glamorous or cool. IT IS NEVER OK, under any circumstances.

This is what you need to know about Fifty Shades of Grey: as a child, Christian Grey was terribly neglected. He is confused about love because he never experienced the real thing. In his mind, love is tangled up with bad feelings like pain and embarrassment. Christian has pleasure from controlling and hurting women in bizarre ways. Anastasia is an immature girl who falls for Christian’s looks and wealth, and foolishly goes along with his desires.

In the real world, this story would end badly, with Christian in jail, and Ana in a shelter – or morgue. Or maybe Christian would continue beating Ana, and she’d stay and suffer. Either way, their lives would most definitely not be a fairy tale. Trust me on this one.

As a doctor, I’m urging you: do NOT see Fifty Shades of Grey. Get informed, learn the facts, and explain to your friends why they shouldn’t see it either.

Here are a few of the dangerous ideas promoted by Fifty Shades of Grey:

Girls want guys like Christian who order them around and get rough.

No! A psychologically healthy woman avoids pain. She wants to feel safe, respected and cared for by a man she can trust. She dreams about wedding gowns, not handcuffs.

Guys want a girl like Anastasia who is meek and insecure.

Wrong. A psychologically healthy man wants a woman who can stand up for herself. If he is out of line, he wants her to set him straight.

Anastasia exercises free choice when she consents to being hurt, so no one can judge her decision.

Flawed logic. Sure, Anastasia had free choice – and she chose poorly. A self-destructive decision is a bad decision.

Anastasia makes choices about Christian in a thoughtful and detached manner.

I doubt that. Christian constantly supplies Anastasia with alcohol, impairing her judgement. Also, Anastasia becomes sexually active with Christian – her first experience ever – soon after meeting him. Neuroscience suggests their intimacy could jump start her feelings of attachment and trust, before she’s certain he deserved them. Sex is a powerful, intense experience – particularly the first time. Finally, Christian manipulates Anastasia into signing a legal agreement prohibiting her from telling anyone that he is a long time abuser.

Alcohol, sex, manipulation – hardly the ingredients of a thoughtful, detached decision.

Christian’s emotional problems are cured by Anastasia’s love.

Only in a movie. In the real world, Christian wouldn’t change to any significant degree. If Anastasia was fulfilled by helping emotionally disturbed people, she should have become a psychiatrist or social worker.

Bottom line: the power of Fifty Shades of Grey lies in its ability to plant seeds of doubt. There are vast differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, but the movie blurs those differences, so you begin to wonder: what’s healthy in a relationship? What’s sick? There are so many shades of grey…I’m not sure.

Listen, it’s your safety and future we’re talking about here. There’s no room for doubt; an intimate relationship that includes violence, consensual or not, is unacceptable.

This is black and white. There are no shades of grey here. Not even one.

Summer Camp Updates

For anyone wishing to go to Antiochian Village summer camp the early bird special ends on March 1st.

Concerning camp scholarships- as of today the annual $700 Order of St. Ignatious Camp Scholarship per parish has been fully distributed for our parish – on the first come first serve basis it is always distributed on.

For anyone wishing to attend St. Nicholas summer camp go to: http://www.campstnicholas.com/site/co...

Ladies Retreat in Lent

An Invitation to all ladies of St. Andrew. Mark the dates March 27-29, 2015 for our annual Spring Retreat, returning to Camp St. Nicholas, Frazier Park. Fr. John Finley, attached to St. Athanasius Church and staff in the Dept. of Missions and Evangelism for the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, is our retreat leader. His topic is Delight Thou in the Robe of my Soul: Entering into Holy Week. The deadline for early bird registration is March 6, 2015 . Online registration is available as well as the printable forms at www.antiochianladiocese.org. For more information see the bulletin board in the hall or ask Elizabeth Krammes or Loni Ounanian.

Significant Lenten Dates Coming Up

February 22nd, 2015

Forgiveness Sunday – Cheesefare, Forgiveness Vespers

February 23rd, 2015

Pure Monday – First Day of the Great Fast

February 24th, 2015

Pure Tuesday – Second Day of the Great Fast

1st and 2nd Discoveries of the Head of the Forerunner

February 27th, 2015

Pure Friday – Fifth Day of the Great Fast

Centenary of the Repose of St Raphael of Brooklyn

March 22nd, 2015