This is a list of short definitions of large concepts I have. Many are strictly Christian, some are more conceptual. I have not tried to arrange them categorically or alphabetically.
() Manifest - a manifestation is the natural outcome, evidence, or symptom of some higher level or more basic cause or truth. For instance, the fact that I believe humans are made in the image of God manifests itself in may actions that respect human life. In another sense, the fact that God made humans in his own image manifests itself in the fact that we shouldn't kill them. The beauty of the world is a manifestation of the fact that God, who is beautiful, made it, and is a manifestation of his creative power as he purposefully put his identity into it.
() Art - art means that from the fullness of God, from complete contentment, God has liberty and eventually we will have liberty to create and explore with imagination all the infinite things that could be which are contained within Gods nature (which is more vast than all of existence). God, in his infinite completeness, exercised art in the creation of humans and the world. We exercise art by investigating his beauty in reading/thinking about things in the bible, literally making art in the normal sense, imagining what nature could be like, etc. Art is to be distinct from adventure, which is exploring that which already is.
() Adventure - adventure is similar to art except that is it the exploration of that which is already, the more foundational and less iterative/peripheral properties of God or the pleasurable experience of new created things which God gives us to enjoy. In art, we as sons/daughters and imitators of God are doing the creating. In adventure God is the primary agent. I consider it likely that the two will be indistinguishable in heaven and possibly should be now. It remains to be seen though.
() Beauty - beauty is essentially the peripheral/created content which we find/enjoy through adventure and create through art. Considering that women are primarily described as beautiful and are the crown of creation, I may wish to expand the definition to include the beauty that we become through sanctification.
() Peace - peace is that state of mind that comes when we know all is well as God is with us. His interests of glorifying himself and giving us good things/sanctifying us fortunately run parallel and so we have nothing to fear. It comes from trusting God and knowing that he's all-powerful.
() Joy - joy is the more positive, energetic side of peace (not categorically underneath peace, necessarily). Since God did not spare his own son, will he not give us all good things? He has given us eternal life, life to the full, and this is the best thing for us. Rejoice always. Again I say rejoice!
() Driver - a driver is a motivation to do something or a forcible reason for a truth. The command of God to love God and love people is a driver for the vast majority of the Christian life. Christs death on the cross, our sinful state, and an assumed wish to be aligned with He who painted the universe is a driver for accepting Christ and obeying him. A pass/fail course requirement to write a certain paper is a driver to write it.
() Dimensional theory or dimensional multiplication - see "big theory trinity::tsm" for the birth of this. It is a rather large concept. Essentially properties of objects and truth which are independent of each other but essentially the same category can be seen as dimensions at right angles to each other. God the father is on the x axis, the son on the y, and the HS on the z. The result is a three dimensional object rather than our tiny, limited, human conception of God.
Another examples is making speeches. If you explain something three different ways, you will both catch more of the audience, which has different learning styles (independent but same category), and paint a much fuller view of what you are trying to communicate.
Two people of different skills are not just 3 units of engineering and 3 units of human relations (=6), they are 9 units of reliable solutions to fit real, current human problems.
To ask, in a conversation, questions that are at right angles to the current line of thought (not disconnected, same category remember), like how many?, composed of what?, where?, affects whom?, how long to plan?, why should we care?, who said so?, what are we trying to accomplish?, will all create a much more robust conversation.
() Iteration - an iteration is a repetition with variation. It is to run through all the various parts of a given idea, possibly to carry it to its logical conclusion, possibly to cover all the subject matter areas it affects. It can also have the more mathematical connotation of testing each possibility to see if it's the correct one. Words also used are iterative and iterating.
() God-stuff/lifebreath - this is the material which is food the to the human soul, the relationship with God, truths about God that get you throug the day. This is what ought to saturate our conversations, ones with fellow Christians especially, our thoughts, church services, devotional time, prayer, etc. Perhaps this is best called grace. It is the material that produces peace and joy and the material which art and adventure explore.
() Drop - a drop is the immediate and somewhat meaningful sound result of an action or truth that sometimes prescribes action. When I walk out the door of a building I drop into move-quickly mode. If we make this additional commitment to our client it will drop us into work-quickly mode (the commitment may or may not be a good idea). It is significant to note that if we remove the assumption of the accuracy of the bible, as we should when dealing with those who do not believe it, we are dropped into extra-biblical, archeological, secular syllogisms to argue the truth of the bible or the existence of God. This should encourage the study and respect for things other than bible verses in the living church.
() Kingdom - the kingdom of God is the battle for and eventual conquest of the earth by Jesus and the dominion of God. The church and every Christian, the war of ideas and missionaries, and the personal fight for sanctification and friendships are part of this battle. Towards the end of the world I'm seeing in Revelations that the proposects will look pretty grim and then...fire will come down from heaven and consume the enemy. Once sentence. End of story. Pretty awesome if you ask me. Sounds like a movie - but like real or something.
() Love - love is a word with so many definitions I'm reluctant to define it, but I'm enjoying writing this post and I'm running out of words to define. Love is doing what is best for someone else, probably including personal sacrifice for that person in some degree. This includes both short and long term benefit so there are foreseeable situations where you will have a hard time or cannot avoid irritating someone as you do good for them. I mean, in a very basic sense no one likes being told they're wrong, but if it means not driving off a cliff they'll appreciate it later. As doing the best thing for someone, love in its true sense is extremely focused on God and will always point towards God with enthusiasm. God is the most capable and most motivating being to do good things for anyone, so as you love someone you can probably get over your own ego and direct them towards someone who can really do work instead of trying to help on your own, unless you don't go to God for your own needs either.
() Power- power is functionally defined as the ability to manipulate the world. This may mean actual strength or intelligence but also the ability to negotiate, pull in connections, lie, steal, and whatever else it takes to get something done. Hitler practically doubled the size of Germany before the allies stepped in simply by making and breaking promises and using the fear/hesitancy/false hope/reluctance of those nations to engage in a second world war.
() Sin - sin is any action or thought or desire that is not in accordance with the god-stuff truth. If becoming close to God is your only hope of not suffering for eternity it is probably a bad idea to kill someone. Just saying. You have control over your own desires - believe it or not (it's not easy but it can be done) - chose to desire things of God. Sin can also include things that normally look good like philanthropy because they are done out of a motivation that does not include God. Probably to succumb to political correctness, because you're bored and tend to go high on the hierarchy of needs, to ease your conscience, or earn your way to heaven. In this sense very nearly every action of nonbelievers is sin, regardless of what it may be.
() Gift - gift is not well defined. It is free with no string attached. Gift delivered by love. Let us not concern ourselves with whether you deserve it, we won't even say that you don't (though you probably don't), it's just a gift after all. JC was a gift to us from God. It is to be distinct from grace and go-stuff in the sense that it establishes something long term. Grace just feeds you throughout the day, a gift establishes peace (depending on its quality).
() Feed/drink - to feed is to consume god-stuff. JC is the bread of life. It's collorary is drink - because JC is living water. The first sustains you and grows you, long term carbohydrates and calcium to build you bones. The latter is more short term (3 days as opposed to 40, if any of you are familiar with the statistics) and makes you alive. Lubrication, eyes open. I might associate drink more with HS.
all right I think I'll stop there.
