Unity of Walnut Creek

2021-07-25 July 25, 2021 – Love Ron Salazar, L.U.T. Ron Salazar, L.U.T. delivers a heartfelt and energetic message on the spiritual power of love as part of Unity's 12 Powers series, reminding us that we don't simply have love - we are love, as an expression of the Divine within us. Drawing from Charles Fillmore's teaching that "God does not love anybody or anything - God is the love in everybody and everything," he explores how self-love is the foundation that unlocks all our other spiritual abilities. Through personal stories - including a touching moment with his late best friend's grandson - Ron illustrates how love flows naturally when we release ego and allow our authentic selves to shine. He encourages us to embrace our wholeness, let go of guilt and shame, and recognize that our mission is simply to be who we came here to be.

2021-07-18 July 18, 2021 – Strength Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the spiritual power of strength as part of Unity's 12 Powers series, revealing how true strength goes far beyond the physical to encompass resilience, resourcefulness, and the courage to stay open-hearted. Through stories ranging from a mother lifting a car off her child through prayer to her own rescue dog Samson's remarkable transformation, Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates how strength and faith work together as spiritual brothers. She invites us to cultivate a "strong back, soft front" - building a flexible spiritual backbone through meditation, honest conversations, and community support while remaining vulnerably open to life's possibilities.

2021-07-11 July 11, 2021 – Faith Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell introduces the first in a series on Unity's 12 spiritual powers, beginning with faith - our innate capacity to trust in what we cannot yet see. Drawing on the story of Peter walking on water, her niece's volcano hike, and her own experience walking across hot coals, Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates how faith breaks the chain of routine and invites us to expand into new possibilities. She encourages us to embrace this unique time of transition - where the familiar and the new coexist - by activating our inner power of faith, stepping forward even when the ground feels shaky beneath our feet.

2021-07-04 July 4, 2021 – American Spiritual Journey: Voices of our Community Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell celebrates spiritual freedom on this Fourth of July by highlighting the deep connection between America's founding ideals and Unity's core beliefs - equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. Rather than delivering a traditional message, Rev. Kristin Powell invites two beloved community members, Alexandra Diavalon and Dimitri Daronkin, to share their powerful spiritual journeys as immigrants who found home and purpose at Unity of Walnut Creek. Their stories weave together themes of divine guidance, service, tithing, and the transformative power of spiritual community through life's greatest challenges and celebrations.

2021-06-27 June 27, 2021 – All Our Needs Are Met Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the powerful truth that all our needs are met - not always in the ways we expect, but through divine timing and a plan greater than our own. Drawing on the parable of the rich fool, personal stories, and the charming tale of a message in a bottle found 95 years later, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to release our need to control outcomes and instead trust in spirit's unfolding. She encourages us to unclog the channels of heart, mind, and body so we can receive the abundant good already available, reminding us that true prosperity is not about possessions but about turning toward the divine in every moment.

2021-06-20 June 20, 2021 – Reuniting in Divine Light Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a heartfelt and joyful message as Unity of Walnut Creek reunites in person for the first time after fifteen months apart. Using the powerful metaphor of metamorphosis, she invites the community to reflect on how they have transformed during their collective cocooning - what dissolved away and what new wings are forming as they emerge into fullness. Rev. Kristin Powell beautifully weaves together the imagery of butterflies clustering near their source of nectar with the human need for spiritual community, encouraging everyone to unmask their authentic divine selves and deepen their commitment to one another on this sacred journey of becoming.

2021-06-13 June 13, 2021 – With Spiritual Liberty and Divine Justice for All Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a powerful message honoring both Pride Month and Juneteenth, weaving together themes of spiritual liberty, divine justice, and authentic self-expression. Drawing on the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, the teachings of Jesus, and the interconnected nature of liberation, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to consider where our own growing edges lie in acceptance and understanding. She offers practical ways to be allies - from sharing pronouns to focusing on impact over intent - reminding us that our liberation is bound up together. This warm and timely message calls us to pattern the divine and help manifest a world where truth, justice, and freedom belong to all.

2021-06-06 June 6, 2021 – Resilience Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the theme of resilience through the beloved story of Frog and Toad, drawing parallels between Toad's impatient garden-tending and our collective experience navigating the uncertainty of emerging from the pandemic. She shares Angela Duckworth's research on grit - the combination of passion and perseverance - alongside inspiring stories of Aretha Franklin and Vietnamese refugees to illustrate the power of a resilient heart. Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to build resilience through spiritual practice, particularly by learning to sit with uncomfortable feelings rather than pushing them away, discovering that emotions naturally rise and fall like clouds in the sky. This message encourages us to master the art of uncertainty with passionate resilience, trusting that like seeds in the dark, new growth is always possible.

2021-05-30 May 30, 2021 – Presence Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the transformative power of living in the present moment through the parable of a young woman encountering a lion on her path - a metaphor for the unexpected events that shake us awake from our sleepwalking through life. Drawing on wisdom from Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rumi, and Pema Chodron, Rev. Kristin Powell offers practical tools like conscious breathing, observing nature, and simple affirmations to help us access the divine presence that is always available right now. She reminds us that when we drop into the now, anxiety melts away, problems dissolve, and we rediscover the childlike wonder found in life's simplest gifts - to touch, to taste, to laugh, and to love.

2021-05-23 May 23, 2021 – What Is Essential? Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores how times of uncertainty - from the pandemic to social upheaval - offer profound spiritual opportunities to awaken and discover what truly matters. Drawing on the metaphor of decluttering, the wisdom of Marie Kondo, and the teachings of Jesus about the lilies of the field, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to ask "What is essential?" as a tool for discernment, stripping away the excess in our minds, hearts, and lives so we can reconnect with our deepest values. She encourages us to embrace the "I don't know" as a doorway to spiritual growth, opening ourselves to new possibilities for joy, love, and connection.

2021-05-16 May 16, 2021 – Faith Rev. Kristin Powell In this opening message of her series "Mastering the Art of Uncertainty," Rev. Kristin Powell explores how the past 400 days of pandemic living have offered profound spiritual lessons about releasing our grip on certainty and embracing faith as a flotation device in the ever-changing sea of life. Rev. Kristin Powell draws on wisdom from Pema Chodron, Jesus, and the Tibetan story of the well frog to illustrate how fixed identities and false certainties keep us small, while openness and curiosity expand our dance floor. She invites us to find that underlying feeling of "all is well" - not by anchoring to rigid beliefs, but by relaxing into the spaciousness of spirit where true freedom and joy await.

2021-05-09 May 9, 2021 – Coming Home to Mother Rev. Kristin Powell In this heartfelt Mother's Day message, Rev. Kristin Powell explores the divine feminine as a homecoming - an invitation to return to the nurturing, unconditional love that resides within us all. Rev. Kristin Powell weaves together personal stories, the wisdom of children, and the sacred symbolism of Unity's labyrinth to illuminate how mother love transcends gender and form, offering rest, restoration, and joyous reunion. She invites us to consider how we can both receive and extend this embrace of ease and acceptance to ourselves and others, celebrating the divine Mother energy that welcomes us home exactly as we are.

2021-05-02 May 2, 2021 – Open Up To God Guest Speaker: Bob Hardy

2021-04-25 April 25, 2021 – Sustainable Abundance – (Part 2 of 2) Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the concept of sustainable abundance through the lens of indigenous wisdom, drawing from Robin Wall Kimmerer's retelling of the Sky Woman creation story and the interconnected root systems of trees and plants. Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to expand our understanding of prosperity beyond personal gain toward a collective, reciprocal relationship with all life and Mother Earth. She highlights how reciprocity - giving back as we receive - is the key to lasting abundance, offering practical examples from regenerative farming to community reuse to joyful gardening as ways we can root ourselves in gratitude and care for our shared home.

2021-04-18 April 18, 2021 – Our Original Instructions – (Part 1 of 2) Rev. Kristin Powell & Chief Phillip Scott Rev. Kristin Powell shares a heartfelt exploration of what Native Americans call our "original instructions" - the innate responsibility to care for and protect the Earth. Through personal stories of her evolving relationship with litter - from righteous anger to sacred service - Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates how spiritual awareness transforms our actions and deepens our connection to all living beings. She invites us to become indigenous to place by developing intimate, heart-based relationships with the natural world around us, and features teachings from Chief Shukenwankasapa reminding us that as the youngest species on Earth, we have the most to learn from our elders in nature.

2021-04-11 April 11, 2021 – Why Ramadan Matters Rev. Kristin Powell and Imam Fatih Ates Rev. Kristin Powell welcomes Muslim imam and interfaith leader Fatih Atish for a rich dialogue exploring the significance of Ramadan as it begins during this holy season. Together they discuss the foundational beliefs and five pillars of Islam, the spiritual purposes of fasting - including cultivating empathy, self-discipline, and compassion - and how reading the Quran cover to cover each year offers fresh spiritual renewal. Rev. Kristin Powell creates a warm space for interfaith understanding, highlighting the shared Abrahamic roots that connect diverse faith traditions and inviting the Unity of Walnut Creek community to deepen relationships through an upcoming Ramadan interfaith gathering.

2021-04-04 April 4, 2021 – Crossing The Threshold Into Resurrected Life Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a powerful Easter message exploring the resurrection as a profound spiritual invitation to cross the threshold from limitation into our fullest divine potential. Drawing from the story of Mary at the tomb, she illuminates how we often fail to recognize the brilliance calling us forward - not because it isn't there, but because we lack the context to perceive it. Through a vivid personal story of skydiving after graduate school, Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates the exhilaration and surrender required when we say yes with our whole being to spiritual breakthrough. She reminds us that our liberation is bound together, and when one person steps into the light, everyone benefits from that courageous crossing.

2021-03-28 March 28, 2021 – What Trusting The Universe Really Means In this thought-provoking message, GreggnLevoy explores what it truly means to "trust the universe" - a spiritual adage that carries deep complexity beneath its simple surface. Drawing from his own experience of career upheaval that ultimately led to the creation of his book Callings, GreggnLevoy examines whether trusting the universe means trusting its benevolence, its mysterious ways, its support of growth, or simply our own resilience. He suggests that trusting the universe requires tolerating paradox - holding both its reliability and unpredictability - while staying in active conversation with life through practices like journaling, dream work, and concrete acts of trust.

2021-03-21 March 21, 2021 – Reimagine Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to reimagine humanity through the lens of spring - celebrating our beautiful diversity the way we celebrate nature's wildflowers swaying together in one field. Drawing from Valerie Kaur's "See No Stranger" and the powerful story of the Oak Creek Sikh community's response to tragedy with forgiveness and love, Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that revolutionary love - wondering, grieving, listening, standing up, and reimagining - is our compass back to oneness. She encourages us to hold our spiritual vision while taking action, knowing that a thousand small acts of love can transform our collective consciousness into full bloom.

2021-03-14 March 14, 2021 – Stand Up Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the spiritual call to "stand up" as part of Unity of Walnut Creek's Season for Nonviolence series, drawing from Valerie Carr's revolutionary love framework and the courageous legacy of Harriet Tubman. She reminds us that true reconciliation requires truth-telling, and that faith without action remains incomplete - just as Jesus demonstrated by speaking spiritual truth to worldly power and standing up for the marginalized. Rev. Kristin Powell encourages us to integrate contemplation with activism, pausing before causing harm and finding the courage to speak up on behalf of others, knowing that our liberation is bound up together.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages