"Silent night, holy night,

all is calm, all is bright 'round yon virgin mother and child. Holy

infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly

peace."

Each face is aglow in the amber

ring of candlelight. Each set of eyes twinkles with the flicker of the

small flame. Each heart is full and warm with the message of peace on

earth. Each family is brought closer to God and closer to one another

as they stand together in almost perfect union. It's one of the best

moments of the year, one of the best memories of a lifetime.

It's the Christmas Eve

Candlelight Service.

Those of you who have this

as part of your Christmas tradition know just what I'm talking about.

You know the beauty of the experience, and you know the spiritual strength

� the special spiritual strength � you draw each Christmas in these precious

moments of soft song and whispered prayer.

The world can be a cold, cruel

place. We all know that to some degree. But there are glimpses even right

here and right now that let us see beyond earthly existence to the transcendent

joy of our future life with our Maker and those whom we hold so dear.

Glimpses of heaven. "A foretaste of the feast to come," the

ancient communion liturgy calls it.

One of those glimpses happens

every Christmas Eve when those of us who gather together for worship,

carol singing, and prayers stand first silently, then in soft singing,

and finally in subdued prayer � all the while holding and passing the

great flame of faith that seals our hearts in peace once more.

"How do you 'do'

Christmas and make it really mean something?" asked the young father

who wanted to give his own children far more than the cheap exchange of

mostly useless toys and throwaway things that he grew up with.

"Well," I said, "I'd

say the most important gift you can give your children for Christmas is

the annual return to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. They'll

know what Christmas really is after that, and all the rest will just be

icing on the cake!"

"We'll be there!"

he said. "We'll be there!"

What about you? As I said,

many of you already know the blessing I'm talking about. How wonderful!

But many of you may still not know. Many of you may still be trying to

make sense out of Christmas and have found only frustration with the lie

that "more stuff equals a happy Christmas."

I give you here the very best

gift I can give you in this season of giving: I give you my invitation

to come to the place where it finally all makes sense � to church for

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. You won't be disappointed. You

won't be left unfulfilled.

Many of our area churches are

having these services. Find one and go. If it would be convenient for

you, please know you are welcomed here at Prince of Peace Church. We're

located on Hwy. 314 in Fayetteville, between Lowe's and The Pavilion.

We'll have four Christmas Eve Candlelight Services for your convenience,

at 4, 7, 9 and 11 p.m.

I'd sure like to see what

your face looks like in the candlelight, and you'd sure like to know

what the true spirit of Christmas feels like in your heart.

Let's find out together!

I'll see you Christmas Eve!

Kollmeyer is Pastor of Prince

of Peace Lutheran Church in Fayetteville on Hwy. 314, between Lowe's

and The Pavilion. Christmas Eve Candlelight Services are at 4, 7, 9 and

11 p.m. Sunday Services are at 8:15, 9:30 (Contemporary), and 11 a.m.

(Pipe Organ). For more information log-on at www.popdove.com or call 770-461-3403.

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