Hey! I’ve got moral values too!

Advent. Something is coming. At the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor our annual swell of attendance has begun. The wave will crest on Christmas Eve when even the unchurched are touched by the Spirit of the holiday.

Less active members, the ones who stay away, and all those people who do not think of themselves as religious come seeking carols, candlelight and community in our sanctuary.

Other churches and ministers know about these people who get to church only on Christmas and Easter. Beneath the judgments, jokes or seeming indifference, some ministers, like me, harbor a hope.

Secretly, on Christmas Eve, I want to “razzle, dazzle” them. I want to be so bright, so engaging, so articulate that the infrequent attendee will be converted! See the light! Be so inspired that he or she might attend more regularly; become committed to the church. Never have I felt that more urgently than this year.

I love our Christmas Eve service. It is a traditional Unitarian Christmas Eve candle-lighting service dating to the early 19th century. It celebrates all of the religious values we hold most dear.

At 7 p.m. the sanctuary is dark except for “The light of the Ages,” our chalice. The flaming chalice represents divine light, the spirit of love, the eternal source of all that is and will be.

The light from the chalice is passed by our youngest child (usually a newborn with mom) to the candle representing the baby Jesus. The light of love shone brightly in the life of Jesus, inspiring people everywhere to allow this same light to shine brightly in their lives. The understanding of Jesus as a human being, who demonstrated the fullness of human potential, is at the heart of our Unitarian heritage.

From the Jesus candle, the light is passed to a row of candles representing his disciples and followers.

The light is then passed to a row of candles representing children, the future’s keepers of the sacred flame. The children and youth of our congregation then carry light to the four corners of the congregation. It is spread candle by candle, hand by hand, heart by heart throughout the sanctuary.

When the entire church is filled with light, the candles are raised in silence, illuminating the sanctuary with our faith and commitment to this eternal flame, the light of love.

In a time when conservative religious communities are defining moral values, I want the more liberal voices to stand up and shout, “Hey! I’ve got moral values and religion, too!”

I want our sanctuary and other liberal communities of faith to be filled – standing room only on Christmas Eve. God and Jesus are alive and well in liberal communities of faith.

No one religious voice in our country holds an exclusive on God’s authority. Liberal, inclusive understandings of moral values expand the presence of love and tolerance in our world. We cannot afford to allow conservative definitions of religion or moral values to shape our national agenda.

The world needs those who may never have considered themselves religious to come out. We need those who have kept to themselves, practicing their spiritual values alone, to be part of beloved community. Share your Christmas Eve with a liberal religious community of faith. Be part of the once-a-year crowd – then stick around.

In community, the authority and power of our convictions is strengthened. Liberal communities of faith provide an essential balance to the understanding of morality, family values and the meaning of being religious. In this season of light find a place for your flame. Illuminate the darkness with an inclusive light: the eternal light of love.

The Rev. Elaine Beth Peresluha is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor. She may be reached via bdnreligion@bangordailynews.net. Voices is a weekly commentary by five Maine columnists who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life.