Celebrating With Songs

What is it about music that touches our hearts in so many different ways?

You know… how a song can move your very soul…. to praise God, to feel sorrow over historical events, to remind you of truth, or just ease a troubled mind. Music can lift you high and also bring you low. It adds flavor to a party and can help us learn new material. Music is, in my opinion, an integral part of life.

The songs that we sing at different times of the year helped cement those holidays in our minds, don’t they? I will always equate St. Patrick’s day with the song “today is the day of the Irish, today in the day of the Irish.” We sang it in our school every year in my elementary years. Every holiday seems to have its own songs, don’t they?

We have Easter songs, Harvest songs, Thanksgiving songs, and even Christmas songs.

This time of year, we hear Christmas songs everywhere we go. Do you ever stop to listen to them? To really hear the songs you sing? Not the generic ones like frosty the snowman, but songs like Away in a Manger, Silent Night, or Joy to the World? Do you consider the truths taught in them and teach them to your children? Do you use them as opportunities to teach discernment?

For instance in the song Away in a Manger there’s a line that says “no crying he makes”. When my son was learning this song I asked him, do you think Jesus was a real baby? Do real babies cry? Do you think Jesus would cry as a baby? We always change it to “some crying he makes” instead of doing “no crying he makes”. It’s good to consider the words that we sing because it matters.

When we sing “Go Tell it on the Mountain” are we ready to tell others about Christ? When we sing Joy to the World, does it matter to us that Christ was born? Can those around us see the joy that he brings to us? Do we understand that it is scripture explained when we sing when belting out the words to While Shepherds Watched?

Take note of the songs we use to celebrate. It’s important to pay attention to the words we use, the doctrine contained within, the scripture exemplified. Our sons teach as much as they bring light into our celebrations.

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Thank you to Annette @ A Net in Time for writing with this article. Homeschooling mom of a single lad, raisers of rabbits, blogger, influencer, poet and a person of faith. You can find her on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and MeWe.

Week one – Christmas Ornaments