2025 Sermons

“A UU Christmas”

'Tis the season once again for a reminder that our presence as Unitarian Universalists was influential in creating Christmas as we know it. Whether we have or don't have deep personal ties with Christmas, the bigger message for UUs during this season is one of being present for the needs of all humanity.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
December 21, 2025
“Kindling the Light”

Join us as we acknowledge Hanukkah, the festival of lights, drawing inspiration from its ancient story of courage, resilience, and hope. Together, we’ll explore how the miracle of light in the darkness can guide us today, inviting reflection, connection, and joy as we kindle our own lamps of meaning and gratitude.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
December 14, 2025
“The Stillness of the Season”

The first Sunday in December invites us into the quieter rhythms of the season. Amid the bustle and bright lights, we often encounter moments of stillness, reflection, and even longing. This morning, we’ll honor those poignant spaces—the subtle emotions and gentle truths that surface as the year winds down—inviting mindfulness, presence, and a quiet appreciation for the depth and complexity of this season.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
December 7, 2025

“Why I'm Grateful To Be a UU In This Time”

For many folks, being a Unitarian Universalist (UU) appears to be an exercise in permissiveness. There is no creed or dogma. There are only seven principles (some say suggestions). We all agree to assist each other in living out those principles, and to treat each other with dignity and respect. Today’s service comprises three presentations by individual members of Tapestry focusing on the topic “Why I'm Grateful to be a UU in These Times.”

Ian Turner, Linda Yeargin, and Keith Tuominen
November 30, 2025
“Nurturing Gratitude”

This Thanksgiving, we gather to nurture gratitude—for the courage, resilience, and compassion in our community. We’ll honor the histories behind this holiday, recognize Indigenous contributions, and explore how gratitude can inspire action: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and working for justice. Come ready to reflect, share, and give thanks through living our values.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
November 23, 2025
“The Right to Flourish”

We believe that every person has the right to flourish, a fact brought home to us on Transgender Day of Remembrance. What does that mean in a world that is sometimes hostile to difference? How do we make space for people to authentically be themselves?

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook November 16, 2025
“Joy: Now?”

In a world that often feels heavy and uncertain, joy can feel elusive—but it is more essential than ever. This Sunday, we explore the ways we can nurture joy in our lives and in our community. Grounded in the spirit of gratitude, we’ll reflect on how small moments of delight, connection, and wonder can sustain us and remind us of what truly matters. Together, we’ll consider how cultivating joy is not just a personal practice, but a shared gift we offer to the world.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
November 9, 2025
“The Chill of the Season”

It's Halloween, Samhain, and All Souls' Day once again--a time to both playfully and reverently acknowledge the cycle of life and death.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
November 2, 2025

“Queering Our History”

So often the story of the United States has been told from one perspective--but what happens when we tell the story in a way that includes the rich tapestry of queer diversity that has too often been left hidden and unacknowledged? Join us for this celebration of LGBT History month.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
October 26, 2025
“Reconnecting With Ourselves”

How much of the day do we spend ignoring our body signals, or fighting with distracting thoughts? What would it look like to compassionately reconnect our bodies, minds, and spirits? Join seminary student and chaplain Ru-Lee Weller-Passman as they share their approach to this reconnection from a disabled perspective.

Ru-Lee Weller-Passman
October 19, 2025
“A Peoples' Land”

In honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, we take a deeper look at the land which we inhabit in Orange County. Who are the people indigenous to this land? Where are they now? How does our understanding of the identities, contributions, and lives of indigenous people inform our response to current immigration practices?

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
October 12, 2025
“Knowing the Moon”

In a world where so many are struggling, what does it mean to be empathetic? And how does compassion differ from empathy? Are there methods, both spiritual and science-based, that can assist us in being present to the needs of people in today's world--without depleting our strength and courage?.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
October 5, 2025

“The Compassion Practice”

In a world where so many are struggling, what does it mean to be empathetic? And how does compassion differ from empathy? Are there methods, both spiritual and science-based, that can assist us in being present to the needs of people in today's world--without depleting our strength and courage?.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
September 28, 2025
“Singing for Our Lives”

“Singing for Our Lives” The song lyrics state that “we are a gentle, angry people singing for our lives.” As Unitarian Universalists, what does it mean for us to both find peace within ourselves and remain engaged with this world? How do we build a community of true belonging? This service serves as an introduction to Unitarian Universalism; you’re invited to bring a friend with you!

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
September 21, 2025
“Righting History”

Who lives? Who dies? Who tells your story? In these volatile times how will we respond to these questions. Join Rev. Everett Howe as he explores our Unitarian Universalist history - good and bad - in response to these questions.

Rev. Everett Howe
September 14, 2025
“Water Communion Homily”

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook shares his insights from a joyous visit to a sister congregation's dedication ceremony for their new sanctuary. Tapestry friends and members share their experiences at this water communion in much the same spirit of love, joy, and renewal as our sister congregation did in the dedication ceremony

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
September 7, 2025

"A Labor of Love”

On Labor Day, we turn our attention to the world of work-who does it, who gets rewarded for it, and what myths we're told about people's willingness to labor. From the growing economic gap to the shaming of the unemployed and underpaid, we'll explore how Unitarian Universalist values call us to reimagine work, worth, and justice. What would it mean to treat labor not as punishment or profit, but as a shared labor of love?

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
August 31, 2025
"Return to the Wellspring”

What happens when our spirits start to feel run down by all the chaos surrounding us in the world? How do we make sense of what's happening outside of us--and how it affects us on the inside? Spiritual practices are not just about new discovery--they can help us re-discover a core self that can feel lost in difficult times. Where do we go when the well seems dry?

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
August 24, 2025
"Notes from the Courthouse”

Reflection

Interfaith Chaplain Rev. Celia Young
August 17, 2025
"Notes from the Courthouse"

Sermon

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
August 17, 2025
"In Readiness"

Tapestry's Interim Minister, Rev. Dr. Jason Cook, shares his thoughts on how to manage our mindset to insure "readiness" for the unexpected.

Rev. Dr. Jason Cook
August 3, 2025

"The Tenets of Humanism"

To be human is to inherit systems of oppression. This Sunday, members of Tapestry’s Racial Justice Task Force speak about the work of unlearning some of our internal racial biases and working for a more just world. Rev. Dr. Kent Doss then summarizes the tenets of Humanism.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
June 1, 2025

"Yes And..."

Rev. KC Marie Pandell shares how her background in theatre inspires her ministry.

Rev. KC Marie Pandell
May 25, 2025
"Faithful Imagination"

One of the tools of theological exploration is imagination. Much of our religious life and science operates in the world of unseen forces. This Sunday, we practice using metaphor and imagination to describe what we know is real, but beyond simple description.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
May 11, 2025
"A Force More Powerful"

Nonviolent resistance to injustice is not only a moral and political commitment, it's also a spiritual one. What can the history of nonviolence as a philosophy and a strategy for leading change teach us as Unitarian Universalists in these uncertain times?

Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
May 4, 2025

"Joyful Resistance"

Joy can be a powerful act of resistance. Parades, dance parties, feasts, and puppets have all been strategies for pushing back against oppressive powers. This Sunday, we honor the role of joy in defending our freedom and consider how we might plug into the party.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
April 27, 2025
"Life After Life"

The joy of resurrection and new hope is not reserved for one moment or one person. This Easter Sunday, we honor the pivot points of reinventing our lives. In honor of hope and resurgence of life, we celebrate Flower Communion. Please bring a cut flower on Sunday morning to contribute to our flower ritual

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
April 20, 2025
"The Thread"

Popular guest speaker and UCLA oncology chaplain, Michael Eselun will reflect and explore the idea of a single thread that may run through our entire lives—what it takes to find it, what is our relationship to it, and how it just might help us make sense of the whole journey thus far.

Michael Eselun
April 13, 2025
"Time to Laugh, Dance and Embrace"

The writer of Ecclesiastes has reminded us for over 2000 years that there is a time for everything. This Sunday, honor the need for joy even in our times of challenge and loss.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
April 6, 2025

" Church and State"

If we lose our right to choose, we risk losing the very foundation of our democracy. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents the government from creating or establishing a religion, and thereby prevents the power of the government from expanding beyond civil matters. The First Amendment also protects people’s right to worship however they choose, or to not worship any God at all.

Rev. Celia Young
March 30, 2025
"Trust in Times of Change"

“Nothing is certain but death and taxes,” according to Benjamin Franklin. We do what we can to prepare for the uncertain possibilities

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
March 23, 2025
"The Strength You've Always Had"

Public speaker Cesar Cardona speaks at Unitarian Universalist Church Tapestry on self-trust, exploring how modern mindfulness studies and Buddhist philosophy align to cultivate inner confidence, clarity, and resilience. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and meditation, he will reveal how self-trust is built through awareness, emotional regulation, and interoception (trusting the body's signals). Learn how science and ancient wisdom come together to help us navigate uncertainty and strengthen our inner compass.

Cesar Cardona
March 16, 2025
"Mirrors in the Earth"

For 200,000 years, humans thrived in interdependence with our neighbors and the Earth. This Sunday, we deepen our trust in the more-than-human world and our ability to return to mutuality. We also will have a special Blessing of the Animals. Well-socialized pets are welcome to join us in the sanctuary. Everyone can celebrate their animal companions by including them in the slide show.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
March 9, 2025
"Strength in Numbers"

Unitarian Universalists are proud of our heretical heritage and skeptical tendencies. However, working together to create change requires leadership, followership, and trust. This Sunday, we discuss the necessity of trusting leaders to create big change.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
March 2, 2025

"Integration and Transformation"

Welcoming the outsider, including all voices, and expanding the circle—this is what our faith looks like in action. This Sunday, we examine our desire to integrate others into our community, and open to the possibility of transformation along the way.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
February 23, 2025
"Soaring Spirits"

Tapestry member and therapist Richard Lappin will share his experience navigating life after his wife, Carol Shack, died. The organization Soaring Spirits became a surprise blessing with its peer-based support, tools for coping with grief, and welcome into a community that he had never imagined being a part of.

Richard Lappin
February 16, 2025
"Neighboring Faiths"

Different faiths can be like apples and oranges; their differences are as important as their similarities. This Sunday, we use comparative religion to improve our skills when encountering differences.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
February 9, 2025

"The Story of Our Faith"

From sailing ships blown off course to war-time heroes, Unitarian Universalism is full of stories that are uniquely ours. This Sunday we remember some of those historical moments and consider how we might tell the story of our own faith to a neighbor or friend. Different faiths can be like apples and oranges; their differences are as important as their similarities. This Sunday, we use comparative religion to improve our skills when encountering differences.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
February 9, 2025