Unity of Walnut Creek

2021-02-14 February 14, 2021 – The Magnificent Power of Love Dr. Brenda Wade Guest explores the magnificent power of love as more than just an emotion - as one of the 12 powers of the heart that, when combined with wisdom and truth, becomes a transformative force in our lives. Drawing from personal experience of finding Unity during a time of deep depression, Guest shares how practicing love shifted everything in their life within weeks. Guest challenges the community to harness heart power during the pandemic, offering that COVID-19 may be an elder teaching us how to care for one another, and invites listeners to commit daily to unleashing love - especially where they feel most challenged to do so.

2021-02-07 February 7, 2021 – It’s All in the Follow Through Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell uses a Super Bowl Sunday sports metaphor to explore Unity's fifth principle - that knowing spiritual truths is not enough, we must live them through consistent follow-through. She walks through all five principles, showing how faith over fear, recognizing our innate divinity, co-creating through focused thoughts and feelings, and practicing prayer and meditation all come alive only when embodied in daily life. Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that living these principles includes both doing and being - from acts of service to silently blessing others - and offers guiding questions to help us stay on track.

2021-01-31 January 31, 2021 – Accessing Deeper Realms Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell invites us into a deeper exploration of Unity's fourth principle - the transformative power of prayer and meditation. Drawing on the rich legacy of co-founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, she illuminates how these practices connect us to divine wisdom and guidance, while honestly addressing the common blocks of disbelief, perceived lack, and fear that keep us from consistent practice. Rev. Kristin Powell explores the four intuitive pathways - inner seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing - that become accessible when we commit to regular spiritual practice, encouraging us to simply begin and allow our lives to become a flowing dance with the divine.

2021-01-24 January 24, 2021 – Heart’s Desire and Pure Imagination Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the transformative power of co-creation through Unity's third principle, showing how our thoughts and feelings work together to manifest our heart's desires into reality. Drawing on the wisdom of Unity co-founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, she illuminates how desire is not separate from God's will but rather the divine bubbling up from within us. Rev. Kristin Powell offers a memorable framework spelled LIFE - Longing, Imagination, Focus, and Engaging feelings - as a guide for conscious co-creation. Using the beloved story of The Little Engine That Could, she reminds us that our thoughts fuel our ability to climb any mountain and deliver good into the world.

2021-01-17 January 17, 2021 – Will The Real Self Stand? Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell draws inspiration from the classic game show "To Tell the Truth" to explore the spiritual journey of discovering our authentic divine nature. Using a Hindu legend about Brahma hiding divinity within humans and teachings from the Gospel of Thomas, she reminds us that our true essence - our inherent goodness and wholeness - has been within us all along, waiting to be uncovered. Rev. Kristin Powell guides listeners through self-inquiry to identify the "imposter selves" we create through societal expectations and self-protection, inviting us to let those masks fall away so our real divine self can finally stand.

2021-01-10 January 10, 2021 – The Maturation of God Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the evolution of our understanding of God, inviting listeners to examine whether their concept of the divine has matured alongside their spiritual growth. Drawing from the biblical narrative - from an absent, punishing God to the Ark of the Covenant carried alongside the Israelites to the indwelling presence of Christ - she traces humanity's deepening realization of oneness with the divine. Rev. Kristin Powell affirms that while God lives within us, we also live within a presence far greater than ourselves, offering comfort and grounding especially during turbulent times. She encourages each person to continually revisit and expand their understanding of God as presence, wisdom, and love.

2021-01-03 January 3, 2021 – A Bright New Normal – with White Stone Ceremony Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell leads Unity of Walnut Creek's annual White Stone Ceremony, inviting the community to reflect on the unprecedented events of 2020 and carry forward its deepest lessons - greater compassion, enhanced connection, trust in the divine, and the embrace of uncertainty as a doorway to faith. She guides listeners through a contemplative ritual rooted in ancient tradition, where each person receives a white stone and listens in silence for a sacred word or quality to serve as their spiritual north star throughout 2021. Rev. Kristin Powell encourages everyone to share their unprecedented life in service of building a bright new normal grounded in love, wisdom, and wholeness.

2020-12-31 December 27, 2020 – Affirming Our Divine Source

2020-12-27 Guest: Bob Hardy "Letting Go" In this heartfelt message, Bob Hardy reflects on the frustrations and emotional challenges of 2020 while inviting listeners to practice the sacred art of letting go. Drawing on personal experiences of disrupted holiday traditions, media overwhelm, and the pain of separation, Bob encourages the community to release judgment, fear, and thoughts that no longer serve - and to return to the frequency of love through meditation, prayer, and affirmation. He reminds us that despite the chaos, we are living in a time of remarkable possibility, and that only through our own individual heart work can the world truly change for us all.

2020-12-24 December 20, 2020 – Emergent Joy

2020-12-20 Advent, Week 4 - "Joy" In this fourth week of Advent message on joy, the speaker weaves together the ancient celebration of winter solstice with the Christmas story, exploring how the 2020 Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn mirrors the cosmic dance of expansive spiritual energy meeting grounded, focused presence. Drawing parallels between our evolving relationship with Santa Claus and our spiritual journey with the Divine, the message invites us to embrace uncertainty with childlike wonder while remaining fully present on holy ground. Like Mary, we are called to be receptive to the mighty gift of emergent joy - both cosmically expansive and firmly rooted on earth - as the light returns after the darkest days.

2020-12-13 Advent, Week 3 - "Love"

2020-12-06 Advent, Week 2 - "Peace" Rev. Kristin Powell invites us into the second week of Advent by exploring the theme of peace through the parable of the Chinese farmer, whose steady response of "maybe so, maybe not" teaches us to release judgment and trust the divine unfolding we cannot yet see. She draws a beautiful parallel between Mary's receptive surrender and the season of yin - the feminine, inward energy of winter - encouraging us to embrace stillness, silence, and going within rather than resisting what is. Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that by dropping drama and resistance, we become "no drama teachers" who radiate peace into a world that deeply needs it.

2020-11-29 Advent, Week 1 - "Faith" In this heartfelt Advent message on faith, Cathy Norman shares her personal journey from 36 years of church ministry to becoming a business owner - all by trusting in the synchronicity of life. Speaking from her kitchen with freshly baked cookies, Cathy Norman illustrates how letting go of control and being "in love with life" opened doors she never could have imagined, including a keto baking company guided by remarkable signs and divine timing. Cathy Norman offers a powerful formula for elevating faith - be in love with all that is, acknowledge even the smallest manifestations with gratitude, and allow God's ingenious ways to work beyond your wildest dreams.

2020-11-22 Fall Series, Part 8 - Gratitude In this heartfelt conclusion to the Fall Series, Brenlee shares her deeply personal journey from 36 years of suffering to awakening joy through the spiritual practice of gratitude. Drawing from her work as a psychotherapist at Kaiser Addiction Medicine Clinic, Brenlee weaves together ancient wisdom from the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu with modern neuroscience showing how gratitude boosts dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Brenlee invites us to see every moment - whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral - as a gift containing an opportunity for growth, encouraging us to find the gift within the gift of each experience.

2020-11-15 Fall Series, Part 7, Generosity Rev. Kristin Powell explores generosity as a pillar of enduring joy, drawing a powerful parallel between the life-giving Sea of Galilee - which both receives and gives back - and the stagnant Dead Sea, which has no outlet. She addresses how polarization and division close our hearts, offering Pema Chodron's "Just Like Me" practice as a way to bridge divides and reconnect with our shared humanity. Through touching stories of a child saving a spider, strangers helping a determined college student, and a comfort spaniel offering love, Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that generosity can be beautifully simple - just an open heart following the divine flow of giving and receiving.

2020-11-08 Fall Series, Part 6, "Compassion" In this sixth installment of the Eight Pillars of Enduring Joy series, Rev. Kristin Powell explores compassion as both a practice and a way of being, drawing from the wisdom of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama's Book of Joy. Rev. Kristin Powell highlights two transformative truths - that self-centered thinking is the source of suffering, while compassionate concern for others is the source of happiness - and shares the powerful story of Anthony Hinton, who found joy on death row through serving others. She invites us to reach across divides with grace, reminding us that compassion is contagious and ripples outward to heal our communities.

2020-11-01 Fall Series, Part 5 "Forgiveness" Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a heartfelt exploration of forgiveness as the fifth pillar of enduring joy, drawing from the wisdom of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She shares the inspiring example of Nelson Mandela and South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission to illustrate how forgiveness can transform not only individual hearts but entire societies. Rev. Kristin Powell offers practical tools for the forgiveness journey, including Colin Tipping's Radical Forgiveness Steps, while reminding us that forgiveness is not weakness but a courageous act that frees our bodies, minds, and hearts to love more fully.

2020-10-25 Fall Series, Part 4 "Acceptance" In this timely fourth installment of the Fall Series on the eight pillars of joy, Rev. Kristin Powell explores acceptance as a powerful spiritual practice - not as passive resignation, but as the essential starting point from which real change can begin. Drawing on the wisdom of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates how acceptance allows us to redirect energy from resistance toward co-creation with Spirit, making room for grace in our lives and relationships. She invites the community to cultivate acceptance through meditation, curious engagement with others, and collective action - including a pledge to hold no malice toward fellow citizens regardless of election outcomes - as we work together toward the beloved community.

2020-10-18 Fall Series, Part 3 "Humor" Rev. Kristin Powell explores humor as one of the Eight Pillars of Joy, drawing from the wisdom of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu to show how laughter connects us through our shared humanity. She reveals that humor, humility, and human all share the same Latin root - humus, meaning earth - reminding us that lightening up literally brings us back down to earth and closer to one another. Through personal stories, jokes, and heartfelt examples, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to embrace feeling ridiculous, find levity in our mistakes, and recognize humor as a spiritual quality that heals and connects. Her joyful message encourages us all to lighten up and spread laughter as a gift to the world.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages