Michael Gehrling

“How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality.” #popefrancis

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” #popefrancis

“Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding any one. Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beaury and who invite others to a delicious banquet.” #popefrancis

“Goodness always tends to spread… If we wish to lead a dignified and fulfilling life, we have to reach out to others and seek their good.” #popefrancis

“We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being.”
#popefrancis

“Sometimes we are tempted to find excuses and complain, acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met. To some extent this is because our "technological society has succeeded in multiplying occasions of pleasure, yet has found it very difficult to engender joy"
#popefrancis

Remembering Pope Francis today. About a decade ago I read his exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel.” These are some of his words from that work that resonated with me then, and still resonate with me:

Happy Easter! Today, reflecting that resurrection promises a future with reasons to be grateful.

Been thinking all day about these words that will be read in many churches today, and how they speak to where we might find Jesus on this Good Friday.

When the band says they’re going to play an oldie, and they start playing Usher… #whodotheseyoungpeoplethinktheyare #ifeelold

FIRST PERSON: While masses of climate migrants are not yet on the move to cities like Pittsburgh, increasingly frequent, intense and devastating disasters are already reshaping how people decide where to live. We need to proactively prepare.

When your dance partner serves face and embodies a character…. #westcoastswing #dancesky #dancersofbluesky
📸by @vladdythegeek.bsky.social

Thank you @vladdythegeek.bsky.social for these great pics! #westcoastswing #dancersofbluesky #dancesky

And should be required reading for pastors. 2 takeaways:
1. Spiritual gatherings always need to include embodied practices
2. In the same way churches know about their local food banks, counseling center, etc. They should also know their local yoga and dance studios #progressivechristianity #church

Just finished The Body Keeps the Score. For my dance friends: a must read for appreciating just how powerful our communities can be for people. #booksky #dance

"Our kind of people" Who is The Episcopal Church for?

My colleague and Episcopal counterpart @katienakamura.bsky.social wrote this about her own denomination. But it rings true of my experiences in the @pcusa.bsky.social too…

To prepare for Lent, I tried frying my own fish. Of the four fillets, exactly 1 turned out ok for a pic. The rest are mush. The Swissvale VFD can continue taking my money. 😂 #lent #fishfry #swissvalepa

If I were the pastor of a congregation, this would be my challenge to them for Lent: Track the number of minutes you spend consuming news media, and spend an equal or greater number of minutes reading the gospels. I really believe the world would be different if folks did that.

“But how do we make goodness attractive? By doing whatever we can do to bring courage to those whose lives move near our own--by treating our 'neighbor' at least as well as we treat ourselves and allowing that to inform everything that we produce.”
- Fred Rogers
#yearofcreativecourage

I’ve been calling my Rep and Senators just about every day for the past 2 weeks to express my concerns about Trump’s actions related to immigration, trans individuals, DEI, and DOGE. Today was the first time I got to speak with an actual human. Thank you @summerlee.bsky.social and your staff!

For my Presbyterian friends: Our denomination has made it easy to speak out against the unjust and anti-Christian actions of Project 2025. The linked form helps you to quickly write to the president, vp, both of your senators, and your representative in congress. hubs.ly/Q035jWFf0

I read from a life coach recently that you should take 1 day a month to be a tourist in your own city, and stated that practice today. Totally recommend!

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Thanks!

Mad at Meta? Don't Let Them Collect and Monetize Your Personal Data If you’re fed up with Meta right now, you’re not alone. Meta tracks you across millions of websites and apps and its business model relies on your data. If you want to limit Meta’s ability to collect ...

This took me 5 mins. ✅

It’s 3 easy steps I just did to stop two social media apps from tracking my activity on *other* websites 👇

www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...

Escape ≠ freedom. Thanks for this, Kate Davoli.

Please add me if there are still spots

Rest and self-care is absolutely part of resisting. If you aren’t already familiar, check out Tricia Hersey’s Rest is Resistance, or her Rest Deck. Might help frame recovery time in a way that aligns with your what’s stirring in you. And of course we’ll be eager to see you at pghwcs!

I wonder how many Christians today prayed “Give us this day our daily bread” while simultaneously supporting the deportation of the people who grew, processed, packed, cooked, and/or served their food? #progressivechristian #immigration