And we will consider our question in the key of prayer. The entire life of a Christian must become a prayer, every movement of my being, every cell of our organism, the smallest movement of my thought must become a hymn to God, a hymn of self-denial, sacrifice, humility, self-sacrifice to the Other and for His sake. But there are moments of the highest tension of closeness, where two for a moment become one, no longer thinking of themselves separately from the Other. In religious life, these moments of intimate closeness of a person with God are the sacraments. In the sacraments, we touch the Divinity for a moment, as the holy fathers say (St. Ephrem the Syrian, St. Symeon the New Theologian, St. Gregory Palamas). This is truly so because in the sacraments the grace of the Holy Spirit is given.
A person, being in the Holy Spirit, for the unconfirmed and ignorant (2 Peter 3:16) becomes a subject of mockery and derision. To not be unsubstantiated, let’s cite examples from Holy Scripture. King and prophet David, going before the Ark of the Covenant, jumped and danced before the Lord, and Saul’s daughter, Michal, despised him in her heart (2 Samuel 6:16). Michal said: How distinguished was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today before the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself (2 Samuel 6:20). He (the king) did not think it indecent, that it did not befit such a dignified person to behave so. And he was condemned by those who did not rejoice together with God’s people. The gaze of a stranger paralyzes the worshipper, forces him to behave in the Divine domain according to earthly, temporary standards, so as not to appear strange (God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel! Ps. 68:35).
Zacchaeus, to see God, meet Him, despised everything (shame, insults, mockery, ridicule), and, like a child (a distinguished man, who held a high position), climbed a tree (Luke 19:4).
The bleeding woman (Matthew 19:20), who went to God “headlong,” disregarding all the canons and statutes of the Jewish people and religion (a bleeding woman was considered unclean, she had no right to touch people, and she went in a crowd that thronged around Christ), received healing, having made her way to Christ. In this desperate surge, she broke the law and reached Christ.
Where is the propriety of members, where is the observance of the law of secular life of the external world? Where there is the highest intimacy, where the fullness of spiritual nudity in the enchantment, closeness of communion with the Beloved, there is no room for shame, propriety of members, adherence to law, norms… Therefore, the world is tempted, seeing what it cannot contain. The conclusion remains with the reader.
Everything said above is about the inadmissibility of photo and video recordings of sacraments, considering sacraments from a positive side. And now I would like to remind us that there is nothing to show: we are not what we should be. The visible church, the church-organization, if it is in full communion with the Church – the mystical body of Christ, then it must be strange to outsiders, and to some extent – a temptation, because the law cannot understand the mystery of the freedom of the sons of the Church. We do not meet this standard, we are proclaimed, whom they baptized without proclaiming. Therefore, we are formally members of the Church, but in essence – proclaimed. We formally participate in the sacraments, so we are not ashamed of “nudity,” because we are like children in mind, and Apostle Paul wants us not to be children in mind: in malice be children, but in understanding be mature (1 Corinthians 14:20).
And how do we (clergy: bishops, priests, deacons, etc.) behave at the altar?! Without reverence, talking, joking.., and here evil posing before the video camera!? Is this a mission?! But when no one will see how we “honor” God, there is hope that they will listen to the voice of preaching and not be tempted (cf. Matthew 18:6). Let us cover our unbelief, so as not to suffer even greater condemnation, having tempted the weak (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:11-12).
Conclusion: video and photo recording of sacraments need to be banned! Video or photo recordings can only capture those fragments of the life of the Church, those parts of the services where the uninitiated can be present!
P.S. I am grateful that you have read my humble reflections, thereby honoring me, and I ask for your help – to debunk this fragile theory, so that we, in seeking the truth, can deepen and expand our understanding of this issue. And let us always help each other break down our fragile theories, conjectures, hypotheses, do not cherish them, “do not blow on them,” and do not tremble over the work, even of a whole life (like S. Bulgakov over his sophiology, which he did not want to renounce), but seek the truth, the fullness, which cannot be contained (although present to some extent) in any theory, thought, reflection. Never allow ourselves, without discernment, to say “amen” about something. Prudence is a virtue without which no virtue: fasting, prayer, obedience – is worth anything. Fear authorities, because neither Christ is an authority, nor is God an authority, – but Truth. An example that can illustrate for us the destructiveness of following authority might be the case from the life of Isaac of the Caves (see Kyiv-Pechersk Patericon. Word 36). Isaac was visited by the devil in the form of Christ, who commanded him to dance. If Isaac had discerned that Christ could not say such a thing, he would have recognized the lie – the devil. Because he perceived Christ as an authority, he did not judge the words. The Lord does not want from us blind faith (more precisely trust), but, on the contrary, wants us to consciously believe (trust), reason, analyze, and most importantly – always doubt our religious experience.