Little Bethlehems

Holy Island's annual Carol Service gave its collection to a charity that helps children in Bethlehem and elsewhere in the Holy Land on the basis of need. They may be Muslim, Christian or Jew. If they need medication, education or food without which they would be seriously impaired, these Children of Abraham are helped. The next day my sister Sally arrived for Christmas. Her Charity Workshops at Bowthorpe, Norwich, make wooden Bethlehem Nativity figures for the Godly Play movement. We sang carols such as 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' around the houses and collected for another charity.

'What, in one phrase, is the Aidan and Hilda vision for churches?' I am asked. 'Little Bethlehems', I reply.

Two days before Christmas a busy city centre church leader journeys to Holy Island to talk about this. He has given fifty members of his church a Christmas gift of my book 'High Street Monasteries'. The idea is to enable them to become a grass roots community of ordinary people who live so that Christ is born anew among the people in a village of God.

Thank you to Shay who has sent this:

CHRISTMAS DAY Celebration of birth Glorious

عيد ميلاد المسيح Arabic

عيد ميلاد مجيد Celebration of birth glorious کرسمس مبارک Afghanistan

圣诞快乐 & 聖誕快樂 Chinese

חג מולד שמח Hebrew کریسمس مبارک Persian с Рождеством Христовым Russian

கிறிஸ்மஸ் தின நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள் Tamil

สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส Thai

Щасливого Різдва Христового Ukrainian

즐거운 크리스마스 되세요 Korean Καλά Χριστούγεννα Greek கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள் India Tamil Hoesenestotse & Aa'eEmona'e Cheyenne Indian

Wanikiya tonpi wowiyuskin Lakota Souix

Gozhqq Keshmish Western Apache

toDwI'ma' qoS yItIvqu' Klingon- Savior's birthday you-enjoy! Star Trek

Alassë a Hristomerendë Quenya- Joyous Feast of Christ Lord of the Rings

Mereth Veren e-Doled Eruion Sindarin- Coming of the Son of God Lord of the Rings