Question about holidays

This is an interesting question. Holiday observances focus on one part of the gospel story. In the case of Mother's Day, Father's Day, Labor Day, etc., we are given a chance to put a Christian twist on an observance that is not ostensibly Christian.

As for the music, I can see your point. I sing in my church choir, an independent auditioned choir, and I participate regularly in Sacred Harp singings. I will admit that there are some particular Christmas songs and a few songs connected to Holy Week that I cannot stand. They do nothing for me. However, there are others that pull me into the center of the observance. The real problem for me is the repetition year after year. That is what makes the songs seem stale. I have the same problem trying to prepare Sunday School lessons for Christmas and Easter. Trying to find something fresh to say is the biggest challenge. But the effort to find something fresh can also miss the point. There is a comfort in the repetition. With all the changes that we encounter in our daily lives, we can feel relieved that there are at least some things that have not changed.

I don't think this is much of an answer for you, but I think that this is something you will have to work out for yourself. I try to keep observances like Christmas in the proper relation to the whole gospel story. They only highlight part of it, albeit very important parts. I think that our greatest danger is that we tend to get carried away, to give them too much of the wrong kind of importance. But, that is a danger we face in connection with many things. Good Luck.

Tim Reynolds