L is for Leviathan

leviathan (noun):

1. : (as Leviathan) a powerful sea creature mentioned in the Old Testament; a fearsome sea monster or serpent that breathes fire. Thus, by description, possibly a dragon.
2. : any large sea creature.
3. : something very large or powerful of its kind, and difficult to control.

Old Testament references to a huge sea monster called Leviathan are thought to have been inspired by ancient myth. Leviathan appears in the Book of Isaiah and Book of Psalms as a sea serpent that is killed by God and then given as food to creatures in the wilderness, and it is also mentioned in the Book of Job.

Since the 1300s, the word began to be used (both capitalised and capitalised) for enormous sea creatures both imagined and real—and it was used as a synonym for the whale countless times in Herman Melville’s classic Moby-Dick, as in “ere the Pequod’s weedy hull rolls side by side with the barnacled hulls of the leviathan.” 

Today, the word can be used for anything large and powerful, from ships to corporations.

 

K is for Kindness

kindness (noun):  the quality of being generous, helpful, and caring about other people, or an act showing this quality:

Kindness in a Christian context is not just a feeling but is a way of living. It is closely related to the virtue of compassion. 

• The Hebrew word for kindness, hesed, is often translated in the Bible as “love and kindness” or “mercy,” emphasising affection and caring. 
• The Greek word for kindness in the New Testament is chrestotes, which includes the qualities of goodness, gentleness and helpfulness.

J is for Juggernaut

Juggernaut (noun): a literal or metaphorical force or object regarded as unstoppable, merciless, and destructive, and often, by implication, out of control.

The word comes from an early translation in English of the name Jagannath. During the mid-19th century, some European travellers were observing the Hindu festival of Ratha Yatra in Puri, India. During this a  procession of massive wooden chariots (called temple cars) carrying a statue of the deity were pulled through the streets. These chariots were incredibly heavy and nearly impossible to steer or stop quickly once in motion, Reports emerged that people deliberately allowed themselves to be crushed beneath the vehicle's wheels as a sacrifice. It's now thought these reports were an exaggeration or misinterpretation of actual events, but the false reports spread throughout Europe and America.

In the latter half of the 20th Century the term juggernaut was frequently used in the United Kingdom to describe any large heavy truck or articulated lorry (thought to be just as unstoppable)

The term is more commonly used nowadays for any form of powerful force or movement, thought by many to be unstoppable.

Finally, Marvel Comics fans will remember the Juggernaut (Cain Marko), a character created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby to fight the X-Men. He possessed superhuman strength and durability, and was virtually immune to most physical attacks; his helmet also protected him from mental attacks.

I is for Intangible

intangible (adjective): something that exists but that cannot be touched, exactly described, or given an exact value. 

This may mean:

• something that is unable to be physically touched: (immaterial, incorporeal, impalpable, insubstantial, ethereal, ghostly)
• something that is difficult to perceive or grasp: (elusive, impalpable, imperceptible, vague.)
• something that is abstract or theoretical: (hypothetical)

H is for Hyperspace

Hyperspace (noun): a theoretical concept used in science fiction. It generally refers to a space with more than the three traditional spatial dimensions (length, width, and height)

It's a concept used in science fiction that enables faster-than-light (FTL) interstellar travel. Ships by-pass the speed of light (a universal constant) by travelling through an alternate, higher dimension where the distances are vastly shorter. 

In Star Trek they use a different method of FTL travel. Starships form a subspace bubble that envelops the vessel, distorting the local spacetime continuum and moving the ship through their own warp bubble

Yeah, both methods are convenient plot devices used in science fiction. Otherwise, most stories would involve years spent travelling between star systems. :)

G is for Growlery

growlery (noun): a place of refuge or retreat when one is out of sorts or in ill-humour.

Charles Dickens referred to such a location in 'Bleak House' (1853). In the novel, his character John Jarndyce famously retires to his "growlery" whenever he is in a bad mood or needs to escape the chaos of the household. I think we've all been there ...

It's quite an old term, as we tend to refer to such a room as a den, a shed or perhaps even the home office—a small, personal sanctuary reserved strictly for a bit of peace and quiet.

F is for Fourth Dimension

fourth dimension, noun

1. : a dimension in addition to length, breadth, and depth
2. : something outside the range of ordinary experience

A little bit of physics, now! It is generally accepted (backed up by Einstein's relativity theory) that the fourth dimension is time. Thus, in order to confirm an exact point, you need 3 coordinates for where (length, width, depth) and 1 coordinate for when (time).

The idea of making time the fourth dimension began with Jean le Rond d'Alembert's Dimensions, published in 1754 in the Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Yes, I had to look that one up. :)

E is for Exegesis

Exegesis (noun);  a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. 

Simply put, exegesis is not about discovering what we think a scripture text means (or what we may want it to mean) but what the biblical author actually meant. It’s all about intentionality.

This will mean you need to dig into the historical context, the original language, and the author's intent in order to let the text speak for itself.

D is for Doctrine

Doctrine (noun): a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system. 

The word comes from the Latin word doctrina, which simply means "teaching." It can be seen as a framework for understanding particular beliefs.

In The Salvation Army (my church), there is a Handbook of Doctrine which can be downloaded and studied. The Handbook details the 11 Articles of Faith which since 1878 have been the basis of The Salvation Army’s witness to the Christian gospel. Such a document equips anyone to distinguish between truth and incorrect teachings.

There's nothing worse that following something blindly. Always question, always struggle to understand, always seek to apply this to your own life. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

C is for Cosmic

cosmic (adjective): 

1. relating to the universe and the natural processes that happen in it.
2. (informal) vast, very great
3. (spirituality) relating to the concept that everything in existence is interconnected as one vast, unified whole.

Finally, Marvel Comics fans will of course know that cosmic radiation (the leftover energy from the Big Bang) was responsible for the creation of the Fantastic Four.