The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara RobinsonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The movie now out in theaters, produced by Dallas Jenkins, producer of The Chosen series, is based on this book.
It’s a short book, geared to youth, but great to read as a family at Christmas time. The low-class, nearly-feral, unchurched family winds up with all the main parts in the annual Christmas pageant. They don’t know the story at all, so come to it with fresh eyes. It edifies some, and scandalizes others.
The angel says, “Hey! Instead of Behold!”
Mary burps the baby Jesus and is possessive of him, instead of simply looking pious.
The wise men give the one big gift they got in real life from the church to Jesus, and won’t take it back.
And why isn’t Herod in the pageant, and get what’s coming to him?
Newer converts to the faith can often translate Gospel truth to their lives far better than traditionalists. Alice Wendleken was sure Mary shouldn’t burp baby Jesus. But the Herdman kids figured out that Jesus was for THEM.
A final important lesson: Christ is not only for a certain personality type: the buttoned-down and sanctimonious. The brash, say-it-like-it-is types need a voice in the church.
Highly recommended reading!
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