2024 Sermons

"Repairing Trust"

After the disagreement, how do we strengthen our relationship? After the election, how do we move forward together? After the war, how do we build peace? Rebuilding trust and mutual respect is hard work, and it is what our faith calls us to.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
November 10, 2024
"The Art of Repair"

A multi-generational team of Tapestry members present poetry and essays on the themes of despair and repair from different angles. This will be a thought-provoking entry to November’s worship theme of repair.

Tapestry Readers Theater
November 3, 2024

"Keep Your Ear to the Ground"

The quieting of song birds, the crackling of forest fires, and even the noises of soil are calling out for human attention. Most of us aren’t accustomed to listening to nature. Together we explore some of the ways of listening and what we might hear nature telling us.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
October 13, 2024
"Voice Still and Small"

Sometimes the voice that is the hardest to hear, is the one closest to us. This Sunday, we dive into the spiritual practice of listening closely to ourselves.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
October 6, 2024

"No Guest List"

Inviting the stranger into our hearts, our faith community, or even our home is a spiritual exercise. This Sunday we consider the proactive ways we can make space for our neighbors. The invitation is not just for them, it’s also to expand ourselves.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
September 29, 2024
"Women in Democracy"

Making decisions for our community through the democratic process is central to our UU tradition. Today’s guest speaker brings wisdom from the League of Women Voters and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. She speaks about nurturing a thriving American democracy and the critical role women play. Love is at the center of our Universalist and Unitarian heritage. What would it look like for us to more sincerely invite love into the center of our own lives and Tapestry community?

Steph Campbell
September 22, 2024
"Inviting Love Into the Center"

Love is at the center of our Universalist and Unitarian heritage. What would it look like for us to more sincerely invite love into the center of our own lives and Tapestry community?

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
September 8, 2024
"Descendants"

Lawrence talks about his mixed Native American, Scottish, and Mexican background. He believes there is a need for more people to learn how to engage in complex conversations.

Lawrence Ingalls has been the Guest Speaker or Guest Musician at 21 UU congregations in multiple states and several Spiritualist Churches online. Lawrence was raised in Los Angeles by a single mom who was a Spanish-speaking Latina. Their family is from Sonora, Mexico.

Lawrence Ingalls
September 1, 2024

"The Wisdom of Time"

Wisdom cannot be bought or sold; it must be earned. Typically, gaining wisdom is the work of many years. This Sunday we consider the wisdom of different ages, and honor the role of the elder in our lives.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
August 18, 2024
"The Many Voices of Wisdom"

From poetry to fables, some of the greatest sources of wisdom often appear the simplest. This Sunday we lift up the many unexpected sources of wisdom and begin to ask the question, who should I be lending an ear to today?

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
August 11, 2024
"Knowing in Our Bones"

Our bodies are much smarter than we give them credit for. There is much to learn about ourselves and our world by simply being aware of what is going on inside. This Sunday we celebrate the deep wisdom of our animal bodies.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
August 4, 2024

"Spiritual but not all that Religious"

People are searching for what makes meaning in their lives. Part of this may come from spiritual practices and rituals that have been developed over a lifetime or from the community of an established faith tradition. Our UU principles encourage us to accept and encourage spiritual growth in others even as we search for truth and meaning in our lives. This Sunday we explore what it means to have a spiritual practice and belief, whether you claim a faith tradition or not.

Greg Cline is a member of Tapestry UU. He has been ordained as an interfaith chaplain and is currently seeking ordination in Unitarian Universalist ministry.

Rev. Greg Cline
July 28, 2024
"Journey of Discovery"

Few of us hold on to the same beliefs from our childhood, but those practices and ideas laid a foundation for the rest of our lives. This Sunday we celebrate how dynamic personal faith can be. Changing your mind, growing and learning, are signs of life.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
July 21, 2024
"Getting Around God"

Atheism and Humanism play major roles in our UU faith tradition. This Sunday we learn more about those two sources and try on some ways of experiencing awe, wonder, and gratitude without God.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
July 14, 2024
"Our UU Faith Tradition"

We are not a Christian denomination, or a social club. We are not a justice-making organization, a school, or a musical ensemble. Unitarian Universalism is a long-established faith tradition. This Sunday we dig into what that means for us as individuals and as a congregation.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
July 7, 2024

"The Platinum Rule"

We all have heard that it is best to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This Sunday we take on the challenge of doing for others what they have said they want for themselves. Setting aside our own preferences to listen deeply to others can be surprisingly difficult in our eagerness to help.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
June 30, 2024
"A Father's Pride"

Father’s Day Sunday is hosted by Tapestry’s LGBTQ+ action group. Three fathers of transgender and non-binary children will speak about being parents to their exceptional children.
LGBTQ+ Action Group
June 16, 2024
"Servant Leaders"

Tapestry’s vision statement calls us to be a dynamic leader in Orange County and beyond. This Sunday we explore the role of humility and courage in leadership and in building a healthy, vibrant congregation.
Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
June 9, 2024

"Following the Money"

Beyond warm feelings and nice words, equity is a financial measure. This Sunday we look at some of the historical and contemporary efforts at building equity. Our Unitarian attempts at building Utopian societies might surprise you.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
May 12, 2024
"Equity, What Does It Really Mean?"

We use the word “equity” all the time in UU circles without clear agreement on what it means. This Sunday we dive into the meaning of “equity” to get on the same page about one of our central values.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
May 5, 2024

"Bodhisattva Earth Mother"

Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh says “Mother Earth is the most beautiful Bodhisattva.” In recognition of Earth Day we will apply some of the Buddhist teaching of interdependence to our love of the Earth.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
April 21, 2024
"A Generosity of Spirit"

In a world of soundbites and gotchas, being more generous with one another takes practice. This Sunday we commit to being more generous of spirit, assuming that others are trying their best and coming with good intentions.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
April 14, 2024
"A Tapestry of Generosity"

It is said that a person cannot survive on bread alone; a congregation needs more than money to thrive. This Sunday we celebrate the conclusion of Tapestry’s annual stewardship campaign, and the many different ways we support our vital faith community.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
April 7, 2024

"Alchemy of Life"

With a little magic, in nature and in our own hearts the simplest elements can be transformed into gold. This Easter Sunday we celebrate the ritual of Flower Communion. Please bring a flower from your home or nearby to contribute. You will receive a flower to take home with you after the service.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
March 31, 2024
"The Upside of Apocalypse"

COVID-19, war, violence, poverty, climate change, attack on democracy, and deterioration of institutions continue to threaten our sense of well-being. And as modern people, we seem to have lost our connection to ourselves and others. When things are falling apart and the world becomes more broken, this is when real change can happen.

Rev. Celia Young
March 24, 2024
"Slow Growth"

Slow and steady doesn’t just win the race, it is the pathway to lasting change. This Sunday we embrace the slow journey of creating change.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
March 17, 2024
"Face the Music and Dance"

Popular guest speaker, and UCLA oncology chaplain, Michael Eselun explores the dance we do between acceptance and self-compassion. If we reach for acceptance of our circumstances as a pathway to inner peace, what part does self-compassion play?

Michael Eselun
March 10, 2024
"Embodied Awakening"

Some religious traditions promise transcendence of the ordinary, or even our own bodies. Mystical experiences are powerful, but sometimes the transformation we need most is becoming okay with things just the way they are.?

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
March 3, 2024

"Kaleidoscope of Hope"

Whether it is afterlife, healing, inner peace or personal wealth, religious depictions of hope are varied. This Sunday we will look at some of the visions of hope offered by neighboring faiths.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
February 25, 2024
"It's All About Love"

The 7 Principles and 6 Sources of our UU faith comes from Article II of the bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Associate. This Sunday we explore the proposed changes and answer: What is the role of Article II within our tradition? Who is trying to change it, and Why?

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
February 18, 2024
"Our Hope"

Every religious tradition offers some vision of hope. This Sunday we focus in on what a particularly Unitarian Universalist hope looks like, and how to cultivate it.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
February 4, 2024

"Unlearning Our Legacy"

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.

Racial Justice Task Force
January 28, 2024
"Measuring Justice"

Statistics can be boring and easily manipulated if we aren’t careful. But, each Sunday we commit to seeking the truth in love. To be a justice making community, we must be willing to look at real data to understand the bigger picture. This Sunday consider what data points show us about justice from the global to the personal scale.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
January 21, 2024
"Just Us"

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this Sunday we learn about some of the amazing people who inspired and supported his work. Bayard Rustin, Jo Ann Robinson, Howard Thurman and other visionaries remind us that building the world we dream about takes a team.

Rev. Dr. Kent Doss
January 7, 2024

Watch sermons from 2023.