June 2026 e:News: From Bishop Monnot

Dear Siblings in Christ,

Last month I shared about my newly-planted garden, and the ways it was bringing me hope. As it turns out, in gardening, as in the rest of life, sometimes things don’t go as expected, and we need to reconsider and figure out how to move forward.

Within a few days of planting my little garden, some local critter discovered it, probably the bunny that lives in the hedge between our house and our neighbor. Suddenly my basil plants were being nibbled off at the stem, close to the roots. My hope for an abundant harvest, and homemade pesto, was being shattered by this bunny.

I considered what to do. I thought about just abandoning the hope of growing basil this year, but then I decided it was worth another attempt. So I took myself off to my local garden center, without any real idea of what I was looking for, but a hope that I might find something to help.

At the garden center I met a helpful man who showed me where the fencing was and introduced me to another customer who was having a similar problem, but with a raccoon. After deciding that I did not wish to trade my bunny for his raccoon, I also decided that, due to the odd shape of my little garden, installing a fence was not the plan for me. I asked if there might be any other options.

By the time I arrived back home, I had three new little basil plants, a spray bottle filled with an anti-bunny liquid made primarily from rotten eggs and other nasty-smelling things that bunnies don’t like, and a plan. I found some empty milk jugs in our recycling bin and used a kitchen knife to shape them into anti-bunny collars for my new basil plants. I sprayed the yucky-smelling spray around the perimeter of the garden (the dog was very interested in this), and I waited to see if the bunny would return.

So far, my basil continues to thrive, happily growing up within the little plastic collars. My hope for my harvest is restored. And now, with the recent rain, I need to get on the weeds!

This adventure with my garden illustrates a model known as Listen/Action/Reflection. I listened to my desire for fresh basil and tomatoes, I took the action of planting a garden, and then I reflected on that experience and continued to listen. When the bunny intervened unexpectedly, I listened again, discerned the action to take, took it, and now I am reflecting again and continuing to listen. The weeds represent another opportunity to take action.

In church contexts, this Listen/Action/Reflection model is a method of discernment. We listen to God, to each other, and to our neighbors, with the intention of acting on what we hear. We discern and take action, and then we reflect on what we have learned through the process, while continuing to listen in order to take the next action.

Almost a year ago, our diocese undertook a survey process as a part of intentional listening. We had an excellent response rate, representing thoughts and opinions from every congregation. Many throughout the diocese also engaged in listening sessions through our consultants from Ministry Architects, as they joined various groups via Zoom to share thoughts and perspectives.

From that listening exercise, the Board, the Standing Committee, and I have been taking action on what we heard. We are continuing in our staff realignment process (see new staff announcement! here), and we are working on creating diocesan goals based on what we heard.

As we reflected on what we heard and how we are called to respond, we recognized that part of what we heard was that now might be the moment to do a diocese-wide capital campaign. Our diocese is incredibly privileged to be able to partner with the Presiding Bishop’s office and Vandersall Collective in order to begin a formal listening process to discern whether this is the moment, and if so, what our projects might be. Our diocese has little need for a bricks-and-mortar building project, but there are many ways that a capital campaign could be part of strengthening congregations, supporting clergy and lay leadership, and deepening our connection to God.

Vandersall Collective is working with us to create the details of this new listening process. There will be another survey later this summer, as well as Zoom-based listening. Again, the focus will be on listening to God, each other, and our neighbors as we collectively continue to follow Jesus in the reality of the world we live in here in Iowa right now.

Continuing in this Listen/Action/Reflection cycle, continuing to discern based in the reality of the world we live in and of God’s call to us, is where I am finding hope right now. Just like improvised milk-jug collars for my basil plants, the potential for a diocese-wide capital campaign is a way of preparing ourselves to receive God’s gifts of new growth and transformation. I am delighted to be working with Vandersall Collective, and I believe that this listening process will lead us to an abundant harvest, in God’s time.

Yours in the abundant life of Christ,
+Betsey

The Rt. Rev. Betsey Monnot, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa