Gregory Coles

“[I]t began to resemble what I once imagined church might be like, a church you could bear, where people laughed and enjoyed each other and did not care if they were right all the time or if other people were wrong.”

- Leif Enger, I Cheerfully Refuse

I'm not in a mixed-orientation relationship... but if I were, you better believe I'd be going to this Revoice preconference! (As it is, I'll be excitedly waiting for the main conference to start the following day.) Highly recommended!

www.revoice.org/momcon

The Limits of My World: a novel The Limits of My World: a novel - Kindle edition by Coles, Gregory. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Limits of My World: a novel.

The e-book version of my novel THE LIMITS OF MY WORLD will be free on Amazon all day tomorrow (Saturday, May 31)! I hope you'll snag a copy and leave a short, honest review declaring it brilliant / pedantic / wise / confusing / worse than an AI-generated fan fiction!

www.amazon.com/Limits-My-Wo...

There's something spectacular about the old men at the YMCA who greet each other by saying, "There he is!"

Join me in celebrating the release of Ian Payne's new book The Message of Humanity! It's a nice small topic (you know, just... all of humanity) 😉 www.amazon.com/Message-Huma...

Good news: humanity has become the beloved of God!

(Thanks, @ivpress.bsky.social, for your partnership in the adventure!)

In 2017, the most terrifying, honest words I'd ever written entered the world. I knew so little for sure, but I knew I loved Jesus and was loved by him. Seven and a half years later, I'm grateful to still know both of those things—and honored people are still reading and journeying with me!

My favorite Irish activity was driving around the Ring of Kerry, especially the stops at the Kerry Cliffs and Muckross Abbey. (Bonus points if you sing a Gregorian chant in the echoiest part of the Abbey ruins.)

I love being part of a local church community where we laugh a lot, remember the needs of our present-day refugee siblings far and near, and celebrate the world-transforming birth of a humble refugee King. Merry Christmas Eve to all!

The primary risk of agreeing to be a mid-church-service volunteer at this time of year: You may be cast in the role of Christmas Goat. Fortunately, I had excellent company in Mario the Christmas Cow. (Also, not pictured, Claire made a superb donkey.)

In honor of the longest night of the year, some friends and I gathered for an adapted version of the Icelandic Jolabokaflod: a “Yule book flood” in which we ate snacks, drank hot buttered rum, and read books in peaceful coziness. 10 out of 10 stars!

“Women can’t be pastors” is the one phrase that reliably transforms me into an Enneagram 8.

I’m thoroughly biased, but my InterVarsity Press book No Longer Strangers is on Audible, and I got to narrate the audiobook myself! It’s about finding belonging in the company of Jesus and his people, even when our lives are full of reasons to feel out of place.

"No matter how hard we try, our English words will never match up perfectly with the Greek words of the Bible." My latest on The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender blog: www.centerforfaith.com/blog/is-same...

The mist above the river
Offers puzzlement deluxe.
Those gray lumps by the shoreline:
Are they rocks, or are they ducks?

If I do that next time, I’ll think of you.

I'd love to have as much social confidence as the man I just heard using voice-to-text in the stall of a public bathroom. Then again, I'd also love to craft my text messages more artfully than this man.

This feels rudely accurate.

I have no meaningful suggestions—I was mediocre at Twitter, and I expect to be similarly mediocre at Bluesky—but I'm glad you're here!

Thanksgiving Day sights, in no particular order:
1) Pumpkin margarita, created by my friend Dawson.
2) Crostini topped with goat cheese, cranberry apricot ginger compote (my grandma’s recipe), and orange zest, created by yours truly.
3) My splendid Thanksgiving host Chris, created by Jesus.

Show me a picture on your phone that has your energy that isn't a selfie.

A Circle of Quiet is so exquisite!

I'm abysmal at listening to podcasts, and yet I think I would miraculously discover exactly enough time to listen to this podcast.

I've been doing the same thing!

Before we sing “Crown Him with Many Crowns” at church today, I plan to explain that “potentate” means “dude in charge” and “ineffably sublime” means “so good I don’t have words.” As a result, I’ve been singing under my breath all morning:

Crown him the lord of years
The dude in charge of time…

Find yourself a friend who, when they accidentally back into your car, designs a specialized gift bag to suit the occasion. Happily, my beloved Retirement Vehicle remains undamaged, and I'm now the proud owner of a new car*! (*It's a Christmas tree ornament, but still.)

Of all the many simple joys in my life, knowing the names of my local coffee shops' baristas is one of my favorites.

Joining @bsky.app after departing from the other place feels like the social media equivalent of dating again after getting out of a toxic relationship. So hopeful. So relieved. So many trust issues.

Thanks, Michael - I’m honored! (Here’s to collectively making this space more fruitful in tone than the last place!)