#Your God is too small

[momentsbeforemass]

Too small

(for someone who is struggling with who God really is)

For many of us, most of us, our God is too small.

Not that God Himself actually is too small.

But our concept of God? The version of God that we have created for ourselves?

Whether we have drifted into worshipping some lesser version of God that did miracles back in Bible times. But not today.

Or treat God like an impersonal life force that makes existence possible. But doesn’t do much of anything else.

Or any other of the myriad of ways that we create limited, weak versions of God. Small enough that we can put whatever’s left in a box of our own design.

But whatever way we shrink God down, what we end up with isn’t God. 

If we’ve got God down to something that we can control, something that we’re comfortable with, then what we’re dealing with? Isn’t God.

The truth about God? It’s in today’s Gospel.

From the mouth of a leper comes one of the deepest understandings of God in the Bible.

In six words. “Lord, if you will, you can.”

To unpack, God is the God who can. Whatever it is. God can.

And God will. Whatever it is.

God will. In God’s perfect judgment. And in God’s good time.

None of which may have anything to do with our ideas of what God should do.

Which is why J.B. Phillips nailed it when he said,

“God will inevitably disappoint the man who is attempting to use God as a convenience, a prop, or for his own plans. God has never been known to disappoint the man who sincerely wants to co-operate with God’s own purpose.”

Today’s Readings

#Your God is too small #My Version of God #God #Jesus #Catholic #Christian #Church #J.B. Phillips #God's Timing #Controlling God #Moments Before Mass

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

"The moon revolves around the Earth, which is not the center of the universe, far from it. But just one of many objects, large and small, that revolve around the sun, which in turn is one of countless stars, mostly so far away that they are invisible even on the clearest night. All traveling through space on paths involving simple laws of nature that can be expressed in terms of mathematics. Oh, and by the way, there is no god." -- James Gleick

#James Gleick #religion #infinite universe #your god is too small #science #laws of nature #natural world #religion is a mental illness

[shirecorn]

*raises hand*

does nightmare moon ouccur in this fancy lore version of mlp? if so, how?

Yes, and there is an area of equestria with craters from stomping hooves and a massive valley where one of the goddesses was thrown to the earth. It's a fertile river valley now with a huge blooming city (idk which city. pick one for me)

I havent decided if the battle is going to be a painting or a fic, but I made a playlist that will inspire me when I do get to it.

These songs are picked on vibe rather than lyrics.

Please picture you are a pony watching the sky catch fire and burn, darkened by choking, star-filled smoke, split with sunbeams that char the ground on which they hit. None of it is aimed at you. None of it is aimed at the village where your father lives. None of it is meant to destroy the land or leave chasms where there were once people.

The gods aren't angry with you. But there is a hole where there used to be a town. You know no one survived.

As they cast beams of magic into the sky that rip the atmosphere to shreds, you wonder if the next earthquake will land closer or further from the place where you stand.

You close your eyes and pray it takes you next.

It includes at least one song from an MLP au that I don't know anything about except that the music SLAPS. And that's Infinite Eclipse songs by JC Row

#ask #shire draws mlp #skyscraper gods lore #skyscraper gods #like when you are the size of a mountain you cant just slam your sister into the ground #imagine two giant monster trucks with flame throwers #duking it out on a meadow filled with small trees and tiny creeks and acres upon acres of burrows and nesting birds #max max doesn't care that it crushed an entire flock of quail #its too busy playing fire-guitar

[luck-of-the-drawings]

DISTRACTIONS sometimes its the drive to help and save our friends that pushes us to learn and to succeed. unfortunately its normally ''unethical'' to replicate that in a classroom setting. I ONLY JUST FINISHED THE LAST PAGE HERE, THE FIRST TWO WERE LITERALLY FROM LAST YEAR, N A FEW MONTHS APART. LOOOOK AT MY EVOLUTION. im very proud of this and bled REALLY HARD FOR THE LAST PAGE. PLEASE ABSORB THIS.

#gillion tidestrider #jrwi fanart #jrwi show #jrwi riptide #the last page honestly just took super long bc i dropped it for a long while. only recently wiped the dust off o it. #IM RLY PROUD OF ALOT O THINGS ABT THAT LAST PAGE #LIKE THE PERSPECTIVE N THE WIDE SHOTS OR WHATEVER #IT WASNT EASY BUT I MADE IT LOOK GOOD!! IM SO HAPPY WITH IT #I ALSO just really love drawing gillion as soooo small #just a little guy with the weight of the world bolted to his tiny tiny shoulders #n yknow what while im here ill talk abt the first two comics aswell. i like taking inspo from JTHM for this kinda stuff #more specifically SQUEE n the way his dad was just sooo honest and cruel to him. 'yeah its your fault my life sucks' n all that. i imagine #that gillion prolly dealt with alot o that too. i know weve already seen the elders #but i did initially imagine them to be very much like the Tallests from invader zim. they just hate this little guy. hes so small n lame #hes prolly had teachers like that im sure. i like thinkin about gills experience in school!! #i fell in love with him the moment he said that he wasnt good at being a student like girl ME TOOOO WAAAAAA #HE SUCKS In school and everyone is just sooo tired of him but they gotta put up with him bc hes the Chosen One #but GOD they wish they had someone more competent i bet. it was prolly a relief when they banished him #could u imagine being that? someone so insufferable that people sigh in relief when youre gone. poor poor gillion #ANYWAY THATS ALL MY THOUGHTS #TALK ABT UR THOUGHTS IN THE TAGS TOO DIPSHIIITT CMAAAHHNN

[lucigirl]

And even now I wish that God had chose another Serving as your foe on his behalf Is the last thing that I wanted.

guys do you ever think about Lucifers fall.... and about Micheal.... and their family dramatics..................

#MICHEAL MICHEAL MICHEAL YOURE KILLING ME #sorry for giving lucifer a nose. do you still recognize him #this was sooo fun to draw weeehh spins around #noone asked for this. made this sooooo for my audience of one. me. #hazbin hotel #lucifer morningstar #god please micheal show up in the show so i can tag you fr as well..... #hazbin hotel fanart #drew lucis hands too small ONCE AGAIN #my handwriting almost ruined this for me. #michael

[toytulini]

whys it so hard

#toy txt post #yknow. just. everything. whys it hard to do things #like maybe im not going to enjoy the things but i know i need to do them. i want them to be done. i want to do the things and have them be #done. so whys it so fucking hard. my executives are dysfunctioning. i am incapable of starting shit. i am doing nothing and sitting here #sad and scared and angry #for what. why #i know the answer is like. brain dont work + capitalism bad and exacerbates brain dont work but like. why #whys it work like that. @god or whoever or whatever. whys it hard. things should be easier. fuck you #okay enough serious venting im silly now #whys it hard. fucka you. booyah bomb in your house. 3 times #crab tank twice on a small fry during lowtide fog. fucka you #you know what maybe squidciety would be fucked too but at least in squidciety i get booyah bomb #wait. i have 1 braincell and its connecting dots that dont make sense. dungeon meshi splatoon. lets send the squids into the dungeon. #they get revived. salmon dinner i guess #lets give marcille a crab tank

[sergle]

actually, the difference in shell and membrane thickness in duck eggs is really funny to me, because it has caused me to absolutely Obliterate regular chicken eggs in the past

#BC I'M USED TO USING MORE FORCE... #if you crack duck eggs and then reach for a chicken egg. you will fuck that chicken egg up #it's like being really used to closing a REALLY heavy car door #and then absolutely CLAPPING the door shut on your friend's small and Normal car #way too much force. #sergle.txt #don't even get me fucking started on the like. standard affordable storebought eggs. oh my god. the shells are so different

[sunflowerthiefsunny]

Watching this episode made me think (no matter how much I hate it) that Porter has a point about Gorgug not properly utilizing his rage. Gorgug is constantly trying to distance himself from his anger, he doesn't enjoy being angry. We see this often, but especially during the frost festival when he's so mad at Ruben, his parents, and just the overall situation, but he just squashes it down. And of course, it's something that has become more prevalent with his foray into Artificer because it's a class that requires a lot of focus. I think he's seeing it as a disadvantage when it could be his greatest asset and motivator. I really think he could actually be using his rage in a similar direction and use it as a calming point of focus (kind of how Lydia has to constantly be in a rage but shes very chill) rather than an explosive violent rage.

#dimension 20 #gorgug thistlespring #i know its wishfull thinking but im seeing parallels #Gorgug has never been a loud violent person #but i do think he's an angry person #and rightfully so #growing up in a space that feels too small for yourself and constantly having to question your abilities is frustrating #i think he could really translate that rage into a more quiet smoldering sort of anger #i also think it would act as a cool analogy to the actual physical threat of this maybe rage god #gorgug using rage in a way this god wouldnt #dimension 20 fantasy high spoilers #dimension20 fantasy high #gorgug fantasy high

[kiirotoao]

I’m not a dreamer, but damn, if I don’t dream about Byer’s future, I am nothing.

I dream about Will one day saying, “kiss me” to an already smitten Mike. Him confidently knowing that he is loved and being unafraid to ask for outward affection and Mike returning it. I dream of Mike biking home from work every day and announcing, “I’m home” just so Will can hear him. Will smiles tiredly as he greets him in the kitchen, and Mike can’t help but smile right back as they talk into the endless night. I dream of the pair owning a condo, a flat, maybe even a home, all on their own and calling each other over to come cuddle. I dream of them getting a cat and naming them Yoda. I dream of them getting engaged. I dream of them renewing their vows in that safe haven.

I don’t even think this far into my own future. I’d say to send help, but I can’t stop enjoying these dreams. There’s nothing to save me from. They are my happy place right now.

#byler #byler brainrot #byler headcanons #them your honor #I looked back at my first byler fic and was absolutely gobsmacked that I wrote it in 2022 #the year went by so fast because of this mystic small town show #an adage #and ode #an ‘oh god what is wrong with me’ #I’m too far gone

[ante--meridiem]

I kind of expect some people to get mad at me for this but I do find it deeply ironic how I've recently seen fanfic writers of all people turn into staunch supporters of intellectual property.

#I don't even just mean ai discourse stuff though god knows how many bad ip takes that has generated #Which at this point I'm annoyed by enough to unfollow over #But I've seen people say that you shouldn't use someone's idea in ways they don't like #Because that's disrespectful of their boundaries #And it's like. Ok so you think Anne Rice was totally in the right to try to come down on iwtv fic then? #You can't even big creators vs small creators your way out of this one #Because we're talking about uses that don't make anyone any money so it's not about protecting small creators' ability to make a living #It's an argument about boundaries and respect #Which... you think apply this way to you but not to Anne Rice because...? #Vagueblogging #Fanfic is literally based on 'if you put a story/idea out there it is fine and ethical to have whatever other story thoughts inspired by it #And put those out there too in turn provided you mark them as such'

[marclef]

*BLASTS YOU WITH MY "OC DOODLE DUMP" CANNON*

it's Eyhm time.

(also guess who just started growing their first real mustache hairs 👍👍👍)

some spooky friends :)

(don't worry fake's nice unless you piss him off too much.)

yeah

(crawling back into my hole now to try and motivate myself to draw the comics some more.)

#a buncha random things i've drawn the past couple days. wheeeeeeeeeeee #my art #pizza tower oc #oc art #that uh. the fake peppino one was not originally gonna be as high effort as that but oh well. take my good babies. #still riding off the high and excitement of my art trade though~ half the reason i drew this many eyhms heh #anyways cringe is illegal now and if anyone tells you otherwise i'll fight them. #put your funny cat from a completely unrelated previous project into Pizza Tower. nobody can stop you. not even god. #hell i'd mod her in if i knew how to. and. if uhh. i didn't have to draw 5000 frames of animation for her. #mcpig what the fuck. #if anyone's wondering too. sugary spire eyhm is named Mac. based off Big Mac but name pending because mcdonalds sucks ass. #he's a good boy though. all eyhms are good eyhms really. just don't be a very small and potentially delicious creature near them. #eyhm stuff

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

"Your God Is Too Small" - that's why he needs "defending" from cartoonists… That's why he can't cope with new, better understandings of nature such as evolution and climate change… That's why "he" needs protection from all change, be it gay marriage or birth control… "He" belongs to a time thousands of years bygone, and he is pissed off because you are dragging him with you into the 21st century. -- Nirav Mehta

#Nirav Mehta #tiny god #your god is too small #also your prophets #religion #religion is a mental illness

[bumblingbabooshka]

Live Fast & Prosper

#VERY funny that the imposter Janeway is sort of doing her accent - did Neelix mention that to her too~?? #'Also she talks like a thespian?? Which I guess is how everyone talks in Indiana.' #She also pulled the whole 'we're a workplace but I like to think of us...as a family :)' so you know she's not to be trusted #Also I fuckinglove how into it the guy playing fake Tuvok is...he's like INTO the role. Yet another criminal man obsessed with you #commander...what's your DEAL <3 #I'm such a soft touch dude I felt so bad for the aliens being tricked heheheh #SNRKEHAHAHA ok...Tom & Neelix being pals is actually so funny. They're like 'how could this have happened...we're the toughest most street #smart guys in the book' OK. SURE. HEHEHEH #WHEN DID Y'ALL HAVE EDGE~?? /ESPECIALLY/ YOU TOM #Neelix was doing some shady shit (even though we all know he's a sofite) what'd you do besides get thrown in the clink Tom? #People who say there's no like...uhh character-only moments on Voyager just havent watched the show straight up #Neelix & Tom trying to swindle the EMH with a cup game <3 yeah...that's what this is all about #Janeway: (doing a great job being intimidating) / Tuvok: v_v mhm. / Janeway: Tell her all about it Tuvok. #Tuvok: O_O.....um......it's uh...whew it's bad over there.... #Janeway: What about the prisons? / Tuvok: Oh yes the-the prisons....they don't give you lotion. You'll be deficient in at least THREE #vitamins before you're even brought to trial / Janeway: That's Enough of...that. <- trying not to laugh #Tuvok: (is an undercover agent) also Tuvok: I'm not good at small talk or improvisation. #Neelix how much did you talk about Tuvok bc this guy's really into it #Neelix: balablabla tuvok blablabla tuvok tuvok bla bla / Dala: ....(god this bitch is gay...good for me good for him)

[briarrolfe]

I read this aloud to Charlie and we both wondered whether or not anyone’s actually told Archer magazine that they don’t actually have to be a queer magazine.

It’s not like the community is forcing them to write about queer sex at gun point. But to be fair, if we were… they would probably publish more stories about queer sex…

#I’m thinking back to the time I pitched to them and only then realised… I’m too poor to write 800 words for $50 #I know they’re a small publication but $50… it’s just enough money to really rub in how much you’re not being paid for your time… #like that’s maybe half what a week’s groceries cost? #anyway all that to say. you get the content you pay for. if you wanna publish articles for $50 get ready for: oops all middle class writers #leafing through the queer magazine searching for the centrefold only to find a story about one person’s self care journey during lockdown #this is so funny it’s just. oh my god. they’re such a small mag I shouldn’t dunk on them but they’re all we have and it’s.

[howtosingit]

I’m gonna be honest, Carlos gently patting TK’s calf as he stands up from the couch has rendered me completely useless and I will literally never recover from it

AND I MEAN LITERALLY 

#it's sometimes so hard to understand how much you long for this kind of intimacy in media when you've never really had it #but then you get it and you're like 'oh my god' and it kind of just sinks into your chest t and becomes this core thing in a way #and it's just this one small moment in an episode full of fantastic moments #and it wasn't even an acting choice meant to draw attention #it was the most natural thing in the world #but like... I can't stop watching it happen #this episode has done something to me that I can't explain #the repeated verbalization of love from these two #the way it was so clearly expressed without words too #the way they don't feel the need to define their love to others because it's THEIRS #but they also don't hesitate to share what the other means to them #THE WAY THAT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT IS ACTUALLY BASICALLY CANON NOW #THE WAY THAT THIS MAN IS LITERALLY HIS WHOLE HEART #LIKE WHAT THE FUCK #ls spoilers #911 lone star #tarlos #this show was never supposed to do this to me #this is absolutely stupid

[slutdge]

#im so tired of these mfs oh my god #and its gotten the girlboss treatment too recently #''support women-owned small businesses ☺'' youre not a small business owner bethany. you are a scammer. #recently saw someone reselling those mini punch hand sewing machines for $45 #bruh i got mine at walmart for $7. kill yourself.