The Sacred Catch: 8 Years of Liberated Intimacy

They say it takes decades to cultivate a deep-rooted legacy, but I am learning it takes a special kind of intimacy to truly see a person.

Recently, as I sat in the sanctuary celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the church where I serve, I was struck by a profound sense of awe. I haven’t been here for all thirty years—my feet joined this path eight years ago—but standing in the shadow of this milestone, I realized how much this intimate community has poured into my soul.

I looked at our Pastor Emeritus, Rev. Ozzie Smith, and felt overwhelmed by the decades of wisdom and spirit poured into this foundation and, subsequently, into me. Then, in a moment of shared laughter with Senior Pastor Rev. Patrick Daymond and the pastoral team, I felt something click into place. I felt light. I felt liberated.

In that laughter, I recognized a shift in my own internal rhythm. My sense of humor—so often buried under the "Hurry of Success"—was breathing again. It was an indication that over these last eight years, my intimacy wasn’t just being built; it was being liberated. It was my true identity rising above the noise of my daily labor.

It was in this state of gratitude that the truths of Isaiah 6 began to arrest my attention. In the text, the prophet Isaiah experiences a moment of profound transition. Amidst the ending of one era, Isaiah sees the Divine—high, lifted up, and filling the temple.

That vision offers us a roadmap for our own journey toward intimacy:

1. Arrested Attention

In the year King Uzziah died—in the middle of transition and milestone—Isaiah saw the Sovereign. When we live with a "hurried beat," we focus only on the next task or the finish line. But in moments of true reflection, God stops our shallow breathing and brings us into a space of Significance. I realized I wasn't just "doing ministry"; I was hosting the Presence that has been shaping me since I first arrived.

2. The Heart’s Confession

Deep intimacy requires us to lay down our "common cloaks"—the tools and talents we use to prove our worth. Seeing the Divine clearly reveals the "dust" we’ve gathered by trying to carry everything in our own strength. Like Isaiah, we realize we are "undone." Confession is the act of clearing that dust so we can see the Spirit moving clearly again.

3. A Reality Beyond Our Planning

We often enter a season of growth with a specific plan, but intimacy with Our Friend is sovereign. It never looks like what you thought, but it is what it is. This is the "Diamond of Faith": choosing to trust the Vision even when the path doesn't match our original sketches.

4. Liberated Intimacy

Just as the coal touched Isaiah’s lips to purify and prepare him, this divine encounter recalibrates our entire rhythm:

• God Saves: God rescues us from the "Survival" mode of "not enough" and anchors us in the peace of being the Beloved.

• God Sends: Being part of this pastoral team for eight years has been a commissioning. We are sent as "Kin" to our community, turning obstacles into bridges.

• God Reminds: That moment of shared joy and laughter with my team was a profound "Reminding." It reminded me that even in the weight of a 30-year celebration, Our Creator values my soul. It reminds me that I am a child of the Source regardless of what I finish today.

  
  

The Rhythm for the Week: I will not hurry through my life and miss my soul. Today, I choose to live intimately with the One who has walked with me through these eight years, and I am choosing to live intimately NOW.