ISOLATED BUT CONNECTED MAUREEN BUDD
O
ur last Connect Group on March 11 was a strange one. It was the day MSU announced it was sending its students and faculty home. We were all reeling from the realization that life was about to drastically change. So what did we do? We ate a delicious meal, shared authentic community, and we prayed together. As we said goodbye that evening, we were not sure what the future held for the world or our group. What does a Connect Group look like when we can no longer gather in person? As it turns out, during a global pandemic Connect Groups are still about food, community, and prayer. Two unofficial “bread clubs” spontaneously started during the quarantine. One group began making artisan bread using the same recipe, but experimenting with variations. They share the joys and outcomes with each other through texts and photos. The second group entered the world of sourdough, each creating sourdough starter at home. Using the Marco Polo video app, these bakers share the progress of the starters, problem solve questions, and capture the exciting moment of cutting into a fresh loaf. Who knew baking alone but together could be so much fun? Speaking of being alone, quarantine life isn’t easy. Not being able to gather with our Connect family every other week has left a noticeable gap in our lives. Nevertheless, we are staying in touch through email and recently held our first virtual Connect gathering
using Zoom. It was refreshing to see familiar faces, share our joys and struggles, and laugh together. We ended the call by offering prayers of thanksgiving and petition, just as we would in person. Every day our group receives an email of encouragement from Teresa Spalding in the form of scripture, beautiful images, or funny memes. Those daily emails are a reminder that we are all in this journey together. At Connect, part of our prayer is singing praise and worship together. During quarantine, Filomena Castriciano, who provides music for our group, emailed to everyone a YouTube video of her playing guitar and singing a praise and worship song. It was a joy to hear a song we have often prayed together.
Connect Groups usually meet in a host family’s home every two weeks and are made up of 20-30 people, including children. Interested in Connect groups? Visit our Connect webpage. As we move forward in these uncertain times, our Connect group remains isolated, but connected. We eagerly await the time we can physically gather again. Until then, we stay in touch the way we know best, through food, community, and prayer. - Maureen Budd is a mother and parishioner at Church of the Resurrection.
