I had the chance this week to pick up the phone and call a few of our retired clergy in the Southwest Conference. As the SWC Associates Conference Minister and also their colleagues, I to say it felt good just to hear their voices. It is my belief that sometimes a simple check-in is all it takes to feel a little less alone. We don’t always have to solve big problems—sometimes it’s enough just to be present for each other. This caused a flashback of my military days!
Back when I was in the military, first the Army, then the Air Force, we never went out by ourselves. In the Army, you had a battle buddy. In the Air Force, you had a wingman. Those were not just nice titles. They meant you always had someone by your side. A battle buddy was there to make sure you came back safe. A wingman was there to keep watch, to cover you when things got rough. No matter how well-trained you were, you still needed that person you could count on.
This isn’t a new idea. It shows up in our sacred stories, too. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs. They didn’t head off alone to teach or heal. They went together. They depended on each other, and that was part of the plan all along.
Over the many things I love about the UCC is the way we rely on covenant. I have to I admit that sometimes covenant “to get lost in the sauce”, churches, pastors and conferences and national settings forgets this vital relationship. However, in ministry, we’re held together by a covenant relationship. That covenant doesn’t stop with the when we forget it. We should be all be reminded of that commitment we make to each another; to walk alongside, to share the burden, to tell the truth when things are hard, and to remind each other why we started this journey in the first place.
You might not have a battle buddy or a wingman, instead you might call that person your pastor pal, your clergy companion, or maybe just a trusted friend. It doesn’t really matter what you call them. What matters is that you have someone who understands what this life is like, someone you can pick up the phone and call when you’re carrying more than you can hold by yourself.
It’s easy to think we should just push through everything alone. The truth is, none of us was ever meant to do ministry that way. Even Jesus knew his followers would need each other.
If you don’t have that person right now, maybe this is the time to reach out. Find a colleague you trust or an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Send a text. Make the call. See how they’re doing. We all need a battle buddy. We all need a wingman. And in this sacred calling, we need a clergy companion to remind us we’re not in it alone. Let’s keep showing up for each other. There’s strength in that. And a lot of grace, too. Two by Two!