On Sunday I was part of the Bardney Nativity Trail. This ecumenical event has happened every year for several years and is slightly different every year. Last year it was entirely self-guided as families went round the village looking at projected images of the Christmas story. This year it was conducted in as Covid-safe a manner as possible. Three groups of 35 children and adults went round the trail at timed intervals to minimise mixing.
Each group met with a storyteller in the Anglican Church and listened to the first part of the story telling about creation and how things went wrong and made God sad.
The storyteller, armed with their illuminated manuscript, (a book with lights in it!) then led the group round the village to discover the next chapter of the story.
Mary was visited by an angel and told that she was part of God's plan to turn the sadness to gladness.
The Christian coffee shop provided hot chocolate as the groups filed through while at the next stop there was no room at the inn but the "innkeeper" handed out mulled wine to the more mature pilgrims.
On the green the shepherds were visited by an angel who told them of the birth of the baby.
And at the next stop, the wise men were setting off the find the new king so we travelled with them.
Following the star brought us to the stable where we found Mary, Joseph and Jesus - the baby who would grow up to put everything right again.
