THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER Bible Reading Planنموونە

We all have someone who just gets under our skin. Maybe it’s a coworker, a relative, or an obnoxious neighbor. We try to avoid them, and when we can't, our interactions are tense at best.

For Beth Bradley, and most of the town in THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, these people were the Herdman kids. They were bullies, vandals—“absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world.” No one expected anything good to come from them, and most people avoided them altogether.

After a particularly bad encounter with Imogene Herdman at school, Beth prays that God will send the Herdmans far away. But instead of answering her prayer in the way she expects, the Herdmans end up in the last place anyone wanted them—church. To everyone’s shock, the Herdmans not only attend church but also volunteer to be in the town’s annual Christmas Pageant, directed by Beth’s mom.

The entire congregation sees this as a disaster waiting to happen. The Herdmans are out of place, disruptive, and seemingly intent on ruining the pageant. But while everyone else sees the Herdmans as nothing but trouble, God sees something different.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Think of a time when you were placed in a situation with someone you really didn’t like. How did you handle it?
• How might God be using that person or situation to teach you something?
• What does it mean to see others the way God sees them, rather than through your own eyes?