I am working on a video project that discusses the namesake of the Church of the Nazarene.  The plan is to tell the continuing story of how Nazarenes’ give and draw meaning from the terms “Nazareth/”Nazarene.”  If you are a Nazarene, I want you to finish the following statement:

“Being Nazarene means … .”

Your answers can be testimonial/confessional, historical, biblical, scholarly, or comedic.  All entries are welcome.  Just film a short clip of yourself (web/phone/pda camera’s possess  sufficient quality) and email the entry to rwhnewton at gmail dot com.

Entries are due January 4, 2010.  The film will be used as part of a paper I’m presenting at the Wesleyan Theological Society annual meeting.  I will likewise post the video on my website, www.sowingtheseed.org

Till Next Time,

R–

PS: Please pass on to any Nazarenes you know.

November 21-24 is the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature.  This year, the conference is being held in New Orleans, and I am missing out.  I had a blast last year and had I not made it to the conference, I would probably would not be attending CGU. When I talk about SBL, I get a lot of blank stares.  Imagine virtually every biblical scholar in the country gathering for dialogue, debate, and discussion about the Bible.   Cultural critics, archaeologists, philologists, and exegetes meeting together to geek out over issues related to the study of the Bible.  The conference also hosts the largest book sale of biblical study texts direct from the publishers (and that means great prices).   So I’m a little sad I won’t be there, but I’m looking forward to spend the break getting caught up on some work and relaxing with the family.

If you happen to be in New Orleans for the conference or live in the area, you should check out the world premiere of Finding God in the City of Angels, an ethnographic film about scriptures in Los Angeles.  The film is a production of CGU’s Institute for Signifying Scriptures.  Check out the cool flyer below:

Till Next Time,

R–