As a Lutheran pastor it is hard to admit openly, but singing Christmas carols before Christmas is fun — yes, fa-la-la-la-la la-la la-la fun.  Even if it is or isn’t exactly counter-cultural (depending on your point of view).  Singing carols is really fun when you sing them with a mixed (ages) chorus before appreciative audiences — audiences of one or many.  Singing carols is a communal effort and when the well-known verses have been sung, there is recognition among the group:  “we did it!”  We brought a smile, we noticed someone singing with us, our ‘dashing through the snow’ came alive, our ‘go tell it on the mountain’ ascended that mountain — again!  And our fa-la-la-la-la la-la la-la’s had just the right accent.
 
Should I be surprised that a song can bring so much joy at Christmas?  The Christmas story is full of songs — Zechariah’s. Mary’s and, of course, the angels’ song heard by that appreciative audience of shepherds.  Yes, the Christmas message lends itself to song — indeed, songs of all sorts!
 
We will not be singing fa-la-la-la-la la-la la-la at our church on Christmas Eve — we do not want to mix those nonsensical verses with the traditional Christmas hymns we will be singing as we try to make sense of the message sung so long ago, “Unto you a Savior is born!” 
 
That fantastic message of long ago meant for us today, a fantastic message that gives us plenty of reason for our singing and remembering that:
 
“F” is for fantastic!