Hands down the most interesting thread I have stumbled upon on this forum. Now, whatever I may add to the discussion:
I was baptized a Christian, raised a Catholic, I thought I was syncretic but just right now after I read this thread, I realize I'm probably closer to being pantheist.
I believe we are God, for every matter within us and beyond us: cells, atoms, bacteria, to organs, hot bodies, black holes and beyond (think Carl Sagan). All matter is God, whether living or non-living and because each matter is in a multitude of ways connected to another, we are one. In this sense, I thus believe in monotheism because there is only one entirety of all, and that is one God. We are one. We are God. For all the "good" or "bad", yin-yang that we are, or any and every type of matter: we are God. The contexts or parameters of the relationships of each, whether systems, constructs, or beliefs, etc. and all matters are purely circumstantial and depending on what is relevant at the time or point of its existence. Because context is everything and because there is no fixed good or evil, I tend to be lenient, although specific in what I value in this world. I believe my values define my purpose, and hence define my role with respect to our one-ness. For my relatively microscopic existence to be of value, if I am to be worthy of God (all of us), I am to fulfill my purpose and that is to pursue, protect, or defend what I value. If your purpose is the opposite of mine, I believe we are still equals but just God in different manifestations. We are meant to be in this fluidity, hence the relevance of time. We are meant to have gravity despite sometimes being infinitesimally close to create motion. This is akin to the wind, which is air that moves due to a variety of temperature and pressure. Thus, the variety of our individual differences allow for motion. The perpetual notion of time allows for a continuing motion: change, which defines our existence. Thence, our existence can only continue because time is perpetual. Without time nor motion, God will cease to exist. In this sense, even time is beyond us and thus God is beyond us. In essence, we are simultaneously beyond ourselves. Omnipresent.
Also in this sense, my nail is God inasmuch as I am God and inasmuch as the pixels on my screen is God. We are all God. Thus, we are infinitely powerful.
Nonetheless, mostly out of Catholic habit, I pray very hard and I call it "Lord" and when I pray, I have no image of what am I praying to. Each time I pray, I am mostly asking/begging for the universe to allow some specifics of its bits/matter to manifest in particular ways in my life. I mostly pay to beg for understanding, to ask for strength/protection. Whether or not I am begging the universe within me or beyond me, I'm not sure, but I beg nonetheless.