Minister's Introduction

Figure 1: Trinity Methodist Church mid-1890s. Notice the wooden sidewalks and horse-drawn milk cart.

"Breathe on me, Breath of God"

Contributed by Malcolm Sinclair

"Shall these bones live again?" The prophet Ezekiel posed this searching question at a point in his peoples life.

The bones were old they lay scattered in an unfriendly valley as dry as dust. But the voice of God spoke Spirit to flesh... "Prophet you speak to the scattered host, you call them to life again through Me." Ezekiel called on the Spirit blowing from the four winds and to his amazement the bones found one another and linked themselves in functional order... Sinews formed on them and skin surrounded their frame... The wide-eyed prophet lifted his voice all the more and the breath of life came calling opening eyes twitching fingers wiggling toes... and the host arose a mighty army.

There was life in the old bones yet.

We can recognize the faces of Trinity people, of St Pauls Avenue Road people. They move their hands and ministry occurs, they open their lips and praise arises, they stand together and faith takes action: women, men and children of every age and many races tell a great story.

"We were dead and now we live... We were blind... and now we see. We were strangers and now are family. We were lost and now are found."

Across the decades and the generations bones link with bones and flesh with flesh to form a body larger and stronger than we could ever imagine. We are their miracle child old, yet young... wise yet innocent with expectation. Thanks be to God for incarnation. The spirit of creation taking flesh for the sake of the world.