This election has been a fitting bookend to a chaotic year—an event so stressful some of us might have been muttering (or screaming) Frank Costanza’s mantra, “Serenity now!” (See below.*) This Sunday we’ll share other techniques to help keep us centered in turbulent times.

Please note that we’ve changed the speaker for this Sunday. Johnathan Perkins, originally scheduled for this Sunday (Nov. 8) graciously agreed to be our guest speaker on Sunday, Nov. 15, so we can address the elephant (and donkeys) in the room. Here’s our plan.

Bill Harlan will be the service leader. He’s a retired journalist and communications director and a past-president of our Fellowship. He claims no expertise in the “serenity field.” Far from it. But thanks to family and friends he found some readings that are helping him weather this week’s storm. He’ll share some of them. Fellowship member Danielle Cook Neal, a professor at Columbus State University, will present a related reading and Whittaker Locke will provide music.

However, the main part of the service will come from all of you. We’re asking you to be prepared to share ideas, techniques, activities  or readings that have been useful to you this past week. We’re meeting by Zoom videoconference (NOT in person) on Sunday, so we’ll open up your mics to share coping mechanisms. Of course, sharing is completely voluntary.

Our goal is to create a bit of spiritual refreshment, guided by Unitarian Universalism’s  Third Principle: “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.” In other words, it’s not a political discussion. (We’ll have those, too.) If howling at the moon is your favorite calming technique, share that. Anger and outrage have their place. But let’s avoid screeds. Rather, this Sunday let’s support each other in our spiritual growth, in our searches for truth and meaning and in the spirit of fellowship.

The service on Zoom starts at 11 a.m., but we’ll open up the Zoom videoconference about 10:30 a.m. Do join us early because we’ll start on time. This link takes you there. Members and friends also will have received the link (and the Meeting ID and password, if you need them) in an email from Brenda Stevens.  If you have a question, email her at uufcga@gmail.com.

*Frank Costanza, George’s dad from the television series “Seinfeld,” calmed himself by chanting the phrase “Serenity now”—but the “chant” was an angry shout.