Anyone who's seen Kirk Franklin live knows that he's a powerful entertainer and an animated gospel singer who brings the church and the word with him wherever he goes. Christmas is Franklin's testament to faith and a showcase for some of the finest gospel singers in the Family as they soar through standards such as "Silent Night" and "Go Tell It On The Mountain," along with less familiar fare such as "Now Behold the Lamb" and "They Need To Know Him." Franklin's no gospel purist, however, whether he's charging through a hymn or telling that "Jesus Is the Reason for the Season." He interjects R&B and bits of hip-hop phrasing and jazz into the works. All of it makes for a rousing good time, one that almost turns a studio recording into a live front-pew experience that few Christmas records even come close to delivering. Somebody say Amen. --Martin Keller