Unity of Walnut Creek

2020-08-23 August 23, 2020 – How Will I Realize My Divine Potential? Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell concludes a powerful sermon series by exploring the question "How will I realize my divine potential?" - inviting listeners to recognize the unlimited brilliance already within them. Drawing on the metaphor of an acorn holding the majesty of a mighty oak tree, Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that our greatest fear is not inadequacy but rather the fullness of our own light and power. She encourages us to shift from asking "what's wrong with me?" to "what's right with me?" - affirming that as we let our divine light shine, we give others permission to do the same.

2020-08-16 August 16, 2020 – What Serves The Best and Highest Good? Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the powerful question "What serves the highest and best good?" as part of her Four Questions series, offering two essential answers - our commitment to spiritual awakening and our commitment to kindness. She illuminates how surrender is the key to awakening, inviting us to build a trusting relationship with the divine through quiet listening, sacred spaces, and frequent communication. Drawing on the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila and a touching story from Jack Kornfield about a difficult student named Shea, Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that authentic kindness - deeper than mere niceness - is how our awakened selves serve the world.

2020-08-09 August 9, 2020 – From Which Fountain Shall I Drink? Rev. Kristin Powell

2020-08-02 August 2, 2020 – What If There Were Nothing To Defend? Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to imagine a world where there is nothing to defend - and explores how dropping our personal defenses can create profound freedom, deeper relationships, and meaningful social change. Drawing on the spiritual roots of nonviolence through Gandhi's satyagraha and John Lewis's faith-grounded civil rights work, Rev. Kristin Powell shares a powerful story of 16 months of prayerful resolve that dismantled barriers in India. She encourages us to breathe, listen from the heart, and practice defenselessness in our own lives - replacing shields with faith and weapons with tools of compassion and connection.

2020-07-26 July 26, 2020 – The Changing Of The Guard Rev. Bob Hardy Rev. Bob Hardy shares a powerful message about releasing the inner guard of old habits, fears, and self-talk that keep us small and comfortable rather than fully alive. Drawing from his own journey - from a fear-based Catholic upbringing through profound loss to discovering Unity's transformative teaching that we are in direct partnership with God - Rev. Bob Hardy invites us to chip away at what no longer serves us, much like Michelangelo releasing David from marble. He encourages us to change our inner guard through meditation, creative expression, and daily time with "God Radio" in our hearts, asking what wants to be revealed and released so we can embrace a fearless new vision for our lives.

2020-07-19 July 19, 2020 – Imperative Community Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the imperative nature of spiritual community, drawing on the Zulu concept of Ubuntu - "I am because you are" - to illuminate how we are woven together in ways both visible and invisible. She shares how studies reveal that hearts and brainwaves literally harmonize when people come together, and offers inspiring examples of communities bridging divides through communication and collaboration. Rev. Kristin Powell encourages us to ask, seek, and knock - engaging fully in community both as recipients of support and as contributors - reminding us that especially during challenging times, we need each other to co-create the world we envision.

2020-07-12 July 12, 2020 – In The Flow of Contemplative Action Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the tension between spiritual resistance and divine calling, using the biblical story of Jonah alongside a powerful personal testimony from a community member who showed up for racial justice work even when exhausted and reluctant. Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to embrace both the mystic and the prophet within - first turning inward through contemplation, then allowing inspired action to flow outward into the world. Drawing on the fierce energy of Kali and the playful obstacle-removing spirit of Ganesh, she encourages us to say yes to spirit's guidance even when part of us resists, trusting that we walk this transformative path together.

2020-07-05 July 5, 2020 – Who You Gonna Call? Melissa Phillippe & Z Egloff Rev. Kristin Powell and her wife Melissa share a heartfelt exploration of the "I-Thou" relationship with Spirit - that intimate, personal connection with the Divine that goes beyond intellectual understanding. Through powerful personal stories, including Melissa's journey from childhood religious trauma to discovering an unconditionally loving God, and Rev. Kristin's memorable download about surrendering ministry plans through a parable about cats, they invite us to consciously cultivate a deeper, more intimate walk with Spirit. Their message reminds us that when we surrender to Divine timing rather than pushing our own agenda, life unfolds more beautifully than we could ever imagine.

2020-06-28 "Naivete No More" Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to remove the tinted glasses of naivety and see our world with clearer, more honest eyes - especially as we approach celebrations of freedom that have not yet fully included everyone. Drawing on the biblical stories of Eve reaching for knowledge and Paul's scales falling from his eyes, Rev. Kristin Powell explores how spiritual maturation requires us to hold both the absolute vision of oneness and the courage to confront painful realities of systemic injustice. She encourages this community of seekers to keep learning, keep opening their eyes, and walk together toward a world where liberty and justice truly belong to all.

2020-06-21 Father's Day - “Holding Space for Real Evolution” FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell weaves together the convergence of Juneteenth, summer solstice, Father's Day, and a new moon to explore what it means to hold sacred space for real evolution - both personally and collectively. Drawing on the story of Saint Remald, the writings of Paul, and a powerful viral video of a young father patiently holding space for his toddler's 45-minute tantrum, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to embrace a deeper expression of sacred masculinity rooted in vulnerability, compassion, and inner strength rather than domination and control. She calls us to become loving witnesses for one another - listening deeply, withholding judgment, and allowing authentic expression to emerge - so that true transformation and freedom can unfold in our lives and world.

2020-06-14 “Activating the Power of Understanding” FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell explores understanding as both a spiritual power and a call to action, inviting listeners to cultivate what King Solomon prayed for - an understanding heart. Through powerful stories, including a moving account of two strangers digging soil together at a lynching site to honor a lost life, Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates how true understanding requires willingness to listen, learn, grieve, and heal alongside one another. She encourages approaching this deep spiritual work with curiosity, courage, and a beginner's mind, reminding us that understanding lives not only in our intellect but beneath our feet - in how we stand together for truth, justice, and lasting change.

2020-06-07 "Let's Ground Together in Love" FINAL

2020-05-31 Series, Part 3: "Fear to Love" FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a powerful and heartfelt message on transforming prejudice into freedom as part of her series on turning vices into virtues. Through the parable of a king who ignores a drop of honey - leading to the destruction of an entire village - she illustrates how silence and inaction make us complicit in systems of harm, challenging listeners to embrace the spiritual truth of oneness not as a platitude but as a lived practice. Rev. Kristin Powell invites her community to do the courageous inner work of examining implicit biases, acknowledging privilege, and breaking complicit silence, reminding us that divine love moves toward pain rather than away from it. She encourages seekers to walk through the narrow gate of genuine spiritual transformation so that all people may inherit a freer, more equitable world.

2020-05-24 Series, Part 2 "Anger to Peace" FINAL In this powerful message on transforming anger into peace, Rev. Kristin Powell explores how anger - often labeled as "bad" - actually serves as a sacred call toward greater self-clarity. Drawing from the Buddhist story of The Angry Buddha, brain research by Rick Hansen, and the biblical account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walking unharmed through flames, Rev. Kristin Powell offers practical wisdom for working skillfully with anger rather than suppressing or exploding with it. She invites us to become "fire walkers" - centered in spirit, using anger's illuminating flame to reveal our deepest needs and values while discovering the transformative peace that awaits within.

2020-05-17 Series: Transforming The 7 Vices to Virtues PART 1 "Greed to Generosity" Rev. Kristin Powell launches a transformative series on turning the seven vices into virtues, beginning with the powerful shift from greed to generosity. Drawing on the Ojibwa concept of the Wendigo - a being whose selfishness can never be satisfied - she illuminates how our culture often celebrates endless accumulation while inviting us to examine where we cling, hoard, or grasp from a false belief in scarcity. Through inspiring stories including the Pachamama Alliance's work to protect the Amazon rainforest and a child's extraordinary willingness to give, Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that generosity is our true nature and that through conscious choices in how we think, shop, and act, we can dream a new world into being.

2020-05-10 Mother's Day "The Great Mother's Embrace" FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell offers a tender and timely Mother's Day message inviting us to surrender into the nurturing embrace of the Divine Mother - that ever-present, unconditional love that holds us exactly as we are. Drawing on imagery from the Egyptian goddess ISIS, Michelangelo's Pieta, and the Hebrew name El Shaddai, Rev. Kristin Powell illuminates the feminine face of God that cradles, comforts, and accepts us without condition. She encourages us to release our need to control, to make peace with not knowing, and to simply receive - allowing ourselves to rest in the lap of the Great Mother and know that we are enough.

2020-05-03 "Questions on the Path" Rev. Kristin Powell offers a thoughtful and practical exploration of the spiritual questions arising during uncertain times, responding directly to questions submitted by her community. She shares the FACE framework - Focus, Acknowledge, Connect, and Engage - as a grounding tool for processing anxiety, and offers creative approaches to overcoming negative self-talk, walking through grief, and discerning what is truly essential in our lives. With warmth and wisdom, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us into compassionate abiding - gently living in life's unanswered questions while staying present, connected to spirit, and tender with ourselves and one another.

2020-04-26 Praise For Those Who Serve FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell offers an uplifting message celebrating the spirit of service during the pandemic, sharing inspiring stories of everyday people making a difference - from a 13-year-old boy 3D-printing ear guards for healthcare workers to restaurant owners lifting up their new competitors and strangers building trust in grocery store parking lots. She reframes service not as sacrifice but as honor, encouraging us to keep our own buckets full so that giving flows from an overflowing heart. Drawing on the image of the phoenix rising with powerful wings yet a light footprint, Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that when we serve genuinely, we grow our capacity to love and build trust across the human family.

2020-04-19 Earth Day FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell offers a powerful Earth Day message honoring the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, weaving together indigenous wisdom shared by guest speaker Chief Phillip (Black Horse) with Unity teachings to invite a deeper remembering of our original instructions as stewards of the Earth. Rev. Kristin Powell explores how this time of collective pause presents a profound opportunity for spiritual awakening - to reconnect with nature, reconsider what is truly essential, and resist the forces that would lull us back to sleep. Drawing on the words of Unity co-founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore alongside indigenous prophecy, Rev. Kristin Powell encourages us to plant seeds of conscious living, stay grounded in our values, and carry forward the clarity gained during this transformative season.

2020-04-12 Easter (STREAMING ONLY) Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a deeply resonant Easter message during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing a powerful parallel between the risen Jesus telling Mary Magdalene "don't touch me" and our own collective experience of physical distancing and spiritual transformation. She explores Michael Beckwith's four stages of consciousness - from victim to manifester to vessel to oneness - suggesting that this unprecedented time is calling humanity to shift from forcing life to happen by us toward allowing life to happen through us. Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to embrace patience and presence as the tools of resurrection, trusting that when a critical mass awakens, the whole world can transform into something kinder, more compassionate, and more connected.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages