Unity of Walnut Creek

2020-04-05 Palm Sunday (STREAMING ONLY) Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a powerful Palm Sunday message exploring our relationship with death - both physical and ego death - during what she calls "the Lentiest Lent ever." Drawing from the symbolism of Jesus riding humbly into Jerusalem, her own transformative experiences facing death in Peru and Death Valley, and the graceful passing of her friend Royda, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to stop resisting death and instead let it teach us to savor life more fully. She encourages us to embrace the ancient cry of "Hosanna" - save now - as a call back to presence, reminding us that when the ego takes its rightful place as servant to the divine, we cross the threshold into true aliveness.

2020-03-29 Lent: "Empty Your Cup" STREAMING ONLY Rev. Kristin Powell offers a beautiful Lenten reflection on the spiritual gift of emptiness, drawing from the Hawaiian children's story of the "bowl of light" to illustrate how releasing false beliefs and limited thinking allows our true radiance to shine through. She invites us to embrace this season of stripping away - much like the desert that produces stunning flowers from barren ground - trusting that the resurrection and joy of Easter will come in its own time. Through the prayer "empty my cup," Rev. Kristin Powell encourages us to find openness, receptivity, and freedom as we release what is non-essential and return to what truly matters.

2020-03-22 Series Part 10 "Let Go & Let God Flow" STREAMING ONLY Rev. Kristin Powell explores the ancient wisdom of Taoism and its profound relevance during times of global pause, drawing on the concept of Wu Wei - the art of effortless action that springs from being rather than forcing. Using the charming metaphor of Winnie the Pooh as the perfect embodiment of the Tao, along with the imagery of water as both flexible and powerful, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to consider what life might look like if we stopped pushing against the current and instead allowed ourselves to flow. She encourages us to embrace this sacred opportunity to let go and let God flow, trusting that when we release control and listen deeply, transformation naturally unfolds.

2020-03-15 Series Part 9 "Prophets of Justice and Mercy" FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell hosts an illuminating interfaith dialogue with Jewish musician and leader Joel as part of the Many Paths to the One series. Together they explore the rich physical and spiritual practices of Judaism - from the prayer shawl and tefillin to the joyous harvest festival of Sukkot and the restorative weekly practice of Shabbat. Joel shares how Judaism weaves holiness and justice together through embodied ritual, mindful eating, communal prayer, and a deep commitment to joy even amid historical sorrow. Rev. Kristin draws out the universal wisdom in these practices, inviting all to consider how intentional rest and sacred rhythm might nourish their own spiritual lives.

2020-03-08 Series Part 8 "Five Pillars of Islam" FINAL In this warm and illuminating interfaith dialogue, Rev. Kristin welcomes Imam Fatih Ateş of the Pacifica Institute to explore the Five Pillars of Islam and the deeper meaning behind this ancient faith tradition. Together they discuss how Islam - rooted in the word for peace and surrender to God - calls its followers toward spiritual perfection through faith, good deeds, and good character. Imam Fatih addresses common misconceptions about jihad and Islamophobia while emphasizing that personal connection and friendship across traditions is the most powerful antidote to fear and misunderstanding. This beautiful conversation models the interfaith bridge-building both leaders champion as essential for our shared humanity.

2020-03-01 Series Part 7 "Bodhisattvas Among Us" FINAL In this concluding talk of the series, the speaker explores the heart of Buddhism - compassion - revealing how the practice of meditation opens us to a tender, connected way of being with ourselves and others. Through the stories of the Buddha's awakening, Quan Yin's bodhisattva vow, and the touching tale of Kissa Gotami, the message illuminates how recognizing our shared human experience of pain dissolves the ego's grip and opens the door to genuine compassion. The speaker reminds us that self-compassion is essential to sustaining our capacity to give, and invites each of us to become a refuge of compassion for all sentient beings.

2020-02-23 Series, Part 6 "Enduring Love of the Christ" FINAL In this heartfelt conclusion to the Many Paths to the One series, Rev. Kristin explores Christianity through the lens of healing and reclamation, sharing her personal journey from the exclusions she experienced in her Missouri Synod Lutheran upbringing to finding wholeness in Unity's inclusive community. She invites listeners to separate the institutional church from the radical love and inclusivity that Jesus actually taught, encouraging those with religious wounds to move toward healing rather than avoidance. Drawing on contemplative Christian practices like centering prayer and Lectio Divina, she reminds us that beneath all the complexity, our true religion is simply love - patient, kind, and enduring.

2020-02-16 Series, Part 5 "The Four Yogi Paths" FINAL In this rich exploration of Hinduism as part of the "Many Paths to the One" series, community members Steve and Mirabai (Krishnadas) share their journey through Hindu practice and how it led them to Unity of Walnut Creek, while Kausi illuminates the path of jnana yoga and self-inquiry. The message highlights the four yogic paths - bhakti (devotion), karma (action), raja (meditation), and jnana (knowledge) - revealing how each offers a unique doorway to self-realization and oneness with God. Through personal stories, breathing practices, and heartfelt dialogue, the congregation discovers the beautiful parallels between Hindu teachings and Unity principles, especially the shared belief in innate divinity.

2020-02-09 Series, Part 4 "Our Better Angels" FINAL In this powerful fourth and final installment of the "Our Better Angels" series, musicians JD and Lynne Martin share their music and wisdom with the Unity of Walnut Creek community. Drawing from Einstein's question about whether this is a friendly universe and Lincoln's call to the "better angels of our nature," they invite listeners into a higher vision of love and connection. Through original songs honoring Native American ancestors, celebrating our shared humanity, and standing with immigrants and refugees, they weave together themes of compassion, courage, and sacred belonging - reminding us that we are the ones we've been waiting for.

2020-02-02 Series Part 3: "Overcoming Through Soulforce" FINAL

2020-01-26 Series, Part 2 "Holy Ground of Earth" FINAL In this heartfelt message from the "Many Paths to the One" series, Rev. Kristin explores earth-based spiritual traditions and their profound relevance to our times, highlighting how primal faiths share oral storytelling, cyclical time, and sacred sense of place. She invites the community to expand their understanding of paganism and nature-based spirituality, debunking myths and revealing shared values of reverence, healing, and environmental stewardship. Guest speaker Michelle Ciccala shares her journey as both a proud witch in the Reclaiming tradition and Unity Youth Director, offering practical ways to infuse daily life with sacred intention and demonstrating how earth-honoring spirituality and inclusive community beautifully complement one another.

2020-01-19 Many Paths to The One, Part 1 FINAL In this inspiring message launching the "Many Paths to the One" series, Rev. Kristin explores the transformative power of interfaith understanding as a pathway to peace during the Season for Non-Violence. She traces the legacy of Gandhi's ahimsa through Martin Luther King Jr.'s interfaith friendships - with Rabbi Heschel, Thich Nhat Hanh, and others - showing how direct experience of diverse spiritual practices builds bridges and heals division. Drawing from her own pilgrimage to the source of the Ganges River and encounters with various faith traditions, Rev. Kristin invites us to ask one another "What is the heart of your faith?" - a question that roots us in the shared values of love, compassion, and peace that unite every spiritual path.

2020-01-12 "Mission Possible" FINAL In this inspiring message, Rev. Kristin invites the community to craft personal mission statements that align with their spiritual purpose, building on the White Stone Ceremony from the previous week. She guides the congregation through Unity of Walnut Creek's mission statement - "We are a loving, inclusive community expanding and living our divinity in sacred service for all" - exploring what it means to genuinely love, practice radical inclusivity, deepen into divine truth, and serve all life. Drawing on examples from the Care Network to migrating monarch butterflies to compassionate rats, Rev. Kristin illustrates how sacred service is wired into our very nature, encouraging everyone to let their mission become as instinctive as a butterfly following its ancestral path.

2020-01-05 White Stone Ceremony FINAL Rev. Kristin Powell leads Unity of Walnut Creek's annual White Stone Ceremony, weaving together the powerful story of Thailand's golden Buddha - hidden beneath layers of clay for centuries - with our own tendency to cover up our divine splendor with shame, self-judgment, and fear. She invites us to shift our perspective from New Year's resolutions focused on fixing ourselves to setting loving intentions that reveal more of our true nature. Through the four S's - shift, see, subtract, and shine - Rev. Kristin Powell guides the community in claiming their birthright of worthiness and receiving a sacred word for the year ahead.

2019-12-29 December 29, 2019 – Endings, Gateways and Beginnings Susan Angelos Susan Agenelos draws on the ancient Roman god Janus - guardian of doorways, gateways, and beginnings - to offer a thoughtful framework for the turning of the year. She encourages looking back with wisdom and compassion, not to wallow but to bring hidden fears into the light and forgive ourselves and others. Susan celebrates the comfort of familiar routines as a source of strength, honors the roads we have chosen, and invites us to face the future with joy by practicing gratitude, nurturing community, finding purpose, and serving others in ways both large and small.

2019-12-24 December 22, 2019 – Innocent Joy

2019-12-22 December 22, 2019 – Innocent Joy Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a heartfelt Christmas Eve message exploring how joy - the final theme of the Advent season - lives within each of us and is awakened through wonder, laughter, and surrender. Drawing from a stunning nativity scene at Grace Cathedral, a Sufi saying, and a powerful story about a man who discovers that light resides within him rather than outside, Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that joy comes not from forcing or seeking externally but from becoming receptive and open. She invites the congregation to embrace childlike wonder, make space for fun, and spread joy generously - because sharing it multiplies it within and all around us.

2019-12-15 December 15, 2019 – Agape Love Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the concept of agape love - the unconditional, infinite love of the Divine that is always available to us without condition or limit. Drawing on Greek definitions of love, the mystical experiences of St. Teresa of Avila, C.S. Lewis's writings, and the touching story of a woman named Marla who adopted children with profound needs, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to receive divine love deeply and allow it to cast out fear. She reminds us that healing happens when we touch with love that which was previously touched with fear, transforming our lives from the inside out.

2019-12-08 December 8, 2019 – Peace: Rest Here Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell invites us into the second week of Advent by exploring peace as a practice of resting in the present moment. Drawing from Mary's inward turning during her pregnancy and Joseph's dream-given clarity, Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates how stillness opens us to spirit's guidance and life's enchantment. She shares the story of Joshua Bell playing unnoticed in a subway station to reveal how much beauty we miss when rushing through life, and encourages us to find still points in our breath, release multitasking and "no pain, no gain" thinking, and move toward the empty spaces where spirit flows freely.

2019-12-01 December 1, 2019 – Faith Unblinded Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the transformative power of humble doubt as a gateway to a deeper, wiser faith - one that moves beyond blind belief into genuine spiritual knowing. Drawing on the story of Casey Gerald's childhood disillusionment, the biblical account of Doubting Thomas, and her own experience in Death Valley, Rev. Kristin Powell illuminates how doubt and belief are twin aspects of faith that work together to awaken us. She invites us to shed our spiritual blinders, trust our inner wisdom, and step into the fullness of a faith that is not merely received but actively lived and shared with the world.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages