Minding the Gap

Dear Grace Church, This week I had all the intention of writing about “Minding the Gap”. This is one of my favorite phrases from the underground transport system in London. It was required because over time though the rail guage sizes remained the same, the carriages...

Bishop Alan Office and Pub Hours!

Bishop Alan has Office Hours and Pub Hours! Office Hours – when he is on campus and happy to connect with you if you drop by – are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 pm. Pub Hours – when you can meet him in the basement of the Goose & Gander and share a pint...

Where two or three are gathered

Dear Grace Church, On Sunday morning I shared my secret dream of a perfect retirement – of enjoying regular evenings out at the local pub engaged in lively and meaningful conversation “just this side of tipsy”. Well, I have no such place set aside in Des Moines as yet...

Sabbatical for Everyone

Dear Ones, As I head off on my four-month sabbatical, I am filled with peace and gratitude.  I’ve had a chance to reconnect with a lot of folks over the last few weeks, over the phone or text, in small groups, at the door of the sanctuary— it is just so good to see...

Decoding Bishop Scarfe

At a staff meeting in Bishop Scarfe’s previous diocese he passed around a chart that he had received in an email. “You all need to study this,” he said, with a chuckle in his voice, “Because it really is true” The Diocesan staff spent a...