I suspect that many of you are anxious for me to get off my chest quickly whatever it is that I want to say, to get out of the pulpit, so you can get on with the beautiful music of Christmas. We have restrained ourselves throughout the Sundays of Advent, confined ourselves to slow-­moving, somewhat somber hymns of hope, anticipation, expectancy. "Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel." Anticipation has become fulfillment. Now, we are at last ready to sing of Christmas. There are Sundays when you can come to this place and not know half of the hymns. (We're such a respectable University Chapel, you know.) Today is different. Even the Easter Sunday-Christmas Eve crowd knows all the hymns today. Christmas is the season of singing.

This is one of those Sundays when the words of a …