ver.: 16 August 2007
What is : affirmation, aim, angel, anger, anoint, anthropomorphism ?
affirmation [ < Latin affirmâre, < ad- (toward, to) + firmâre (to strengthen)] To support, cheer on, side with, strengthen.
In its best sense, affirmation means supporting the value of something or someone. It is a 'Yes' in both attitude and deed. God affirmed us by making us, then by making us free, then by keeping us alive, then by coming as a human person (Jesus) to live among us. Jesus calls His followers to affirm ourselves and others, in much the same way as He has done for us. (Thus, when we cut people down with biting words and backstabbing deeds, we are not following Jesus. So why are we so quick to do it?) Affirmation is a positive act that helps to to give confidence and a sense of being supported. It gives voice to goals and hopes, and strengthens resolve. Another way God affirms is by putting into us gifts to build up the faithful. Christians often affirm someone or something at hand by saying words like "Amen!" or "Hallelujah!". In its worst sense (far too common in mainline-church circles), affirmation is a moral sop in which being nice is more important than giving people real help, which involves (at some point) helping them face the hard truth about the situations they face or the consequences of what they've done. 'No' has great value within the context of Christ's larger 'Yes'.
You can also check the dictionary.
aim [ < Old French (a)esmer < Latin aestimare (to estimate)] a determined, deliberate, focused effort to get some specific thing done (such as a goal).
Without aim, you go nowhere special. You have somewhere you want to go (a goal, a dream, a vision), but you get there by aiming for it. It's much better than random action, but on spiritual matters it still cannot stand by itself. Think of an arrow; we try, but no matter how hard we pull back on the bow or how well we aim, our vision wobbles, the gravity of sin pulls downward, the target is often missed. Our efforts need to be part of something bigger, aimed not by us but by the Spirit who can figure the right trajectory, supply the right power, and aim at the right target.
You can also check the dictionary.
angel : messengers (Heb. mal'aki ) from beyond the material realm. They do God's errands -- mostly to tell us about something God is doing or is about to do. They can lead people to do (or not to do) things, but they do not interfere with peoples' own choices once those are made. Angels also have a protective role -- while Scripture is not very clear on how this works, the reports of the faithful over the years are clear about it. Oh, by the way.... they're not always nice.
anger [ < Old Norse angr (bitterness, sorrow) ] strong negative emotion.
Anger may be directed at someone or something or some circumstance, or just a generalized grrrrr at everything. Many things cause anger and the conniptions that come from it : loss, injustice, jealousy, loss of control, lack of hope, sleeplessness, chemical imbalances, or physical pain. Anger can sometimes be a good thing that shows you something's not going right. Though we will be angry at times, Jesus said not to let the sun go down on our anger. You can :
That way, anger doesn't feed upon itself to rob the joy from ourselves and from those around us. You can do something about anger when you find yourself going into a rage. You can :
If you have depression or are in a especially stressful time, you may find it helpful to take depression medication, do some form of yoga or body movement, and (most important) establish a regular pattern of exercise. If anger is a common part of your life, you need to address it for your own good and for those around you.
Related words include blow up, huff, ire, miff, rage, wrath, mad, fury, resentment, dander (up), acrimony, and indignation. Its root is related to anxiety, angst, angina, and perhaps even hangnail.
You can also check the dictionary.
to anoint [ < Old French enoindre < Latin inunguere < in- (on) + unguere (to smear, apply ointment) ] To apply oil onto someone.
When the ancients wanted to heal a wound, they poured or daubed oil onto it. Oil then became a symbol of God's healing powers, and anointment became a sign of trust that God heals. It is still a practice among some Christian churches to anoint the sick with oil, as found in James 5:14-15. From there, oil became a symbol of other powers of God. A chosen person would be anointed to mark their being given special authority by God, including authority to govern. The word 'Mashiach' or 'Messiah' refers to the ultimate One who was chosen to make the ultimate rescue of God's people; the Greek word for this is 'Christ'. Christians hold that this Anointed One was Jesus of Nazareth. At baptism God 'anoints' each Christian with the Holy Spirit; we then belong to God. The Spirit then teaches us what is needed.
There is also a specialized use of the term 'anointing' by Pentecostalist and Charismatic believers. When someone is said to be 'anointed', it means that the Spirit 'pours' onto them like oil -- that is, the person has been given special power/authority by the Holy Spirit to work with the Spirit in accomplishing the task at hand. The 'anointing' shows itself when the beneficial task is done well and is extraordinarily effective. The 'anointed' person(s) or their activity is then said to be operating 'in the Spirit' and 'outside of themselves'. (In some less-careful circles, 'anointed' has been dumbed down to mean 'good', even if there's no other reason to think that the Spirit might be involved rather than skill or knack.)
For more, check this response to an email.
You can also check the dictionary.
anthropomorphism : using human (Greek anthro-) forms (Greek -morph) or characteristics to describe spiritual beings such as God, angels, or demons.
Neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit have actual eyes, ears, hands, fingers, mouth, voice, or face, yet when such familiar terms are used, we can more easily grasp something important about God. Through them we can picture what God is doing, and get some hint of what God is like. God has honored these material-world body parts (and the words and ideas related to them) through the material-being Jesus, and by using them to communicate and to relate with us. The danger in using anthropomorphisms comes when we think of God like we do ourselves, when in fact God is quite different, much 'bigger'. Technically, all words and images we use about God are in some sense 'anthropomorphisms', since they all come from our experiences in a world of shapes and bodies. But some words and phrases are much better than others at catching who God is and what God is about. Some words are 'analogs', similar in kind to something God is or does. Some words prompt our minds to reach for something beyond ourselves. The Spirit gives special strength to those words and phrases, in the Bible, in prophecy, in life, and even sometimes in theological shop-talk.
You can also check the dictionary.
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