St. Paul’s Episcopal Church held a service Wednesday night for those who are lonely or grieving during the holiday season, and asked attendants to join in singing hymns such as hymn 59, “Longing for Light.”

The church opened its doors to anyone willing to attend the special service, which focused on God and peace of mind during the holidays. Peace of mind was emphasized because, “There isn’t a lot of peace and quiet during the Christmas season,” said Rev. Stacy Walker-Frontjes.

There were breaks in the sermon to give the attendants an opportunity to think in quiet and be peaceful.

“This is a service that St. Paul’s has been holding for at least five years. It started before I got here,” Walker-Frontjes said. “The idea came from an understanding that this time of getting ready for Christmas is not always easy for people, you know? People are struggling with the loss of loved ones, the loss of jobs and the loss of health.”

During the sermon, Walker-Frontjes said with all of the hectic Christmas shopping going on, no one really has time to sit and relax and take in the beauty of their surroundings. Her favorite part of the service was during one of the breaks in the sermon, she said the wind outside could be heard and it was very peaceful. Without that quiet moment, she probably would not have noticed the wind, she said.

“I think that it’s a service of meditation, which is very appealing,” said Henry S. Leonard, DeKalb resident and former math professor.