Unity of Walnut Creek

2025-11-09 November 9, 2025 – "Let Your Heart Break Open" In this powerful message, Rev. Kristin explores the profound spiritual practice of allowing our hearts to break open rather than resisting life's inevitable heartbreaks and losses. She shares that while we often try to numb, resist, or quickly fix our pain, true healing comes when we embrace our feelings as pointers to wisdom and allow ourselves to move through grief with the support of loving witnesses. Through personal stories, including her friendship with Joni and the mysterious connections that emerged after loss, Rev. Kristin illustrates how heartbreak can lead us into greater love and the beautiful mystery of life itself. She offers practical tools for navigating difficult times - from staying present to beauty and using encouraging affirmations to creating meaningful rituals that bridge the spiritual and physical realms.

2025-11-02 Series, Part 5 Co-Creating Beloved Community Rev. Kristin In this fifth installment of the Co-Creating Beloved Community series, Rev. Kristin explores the profound difference between being watched and being truly seen, drawing inspiration from the transformative work of Father Greg Boyle with former gang members. She emphasizes that authentic community is built not by trying to fit in or conform, but by courageously expressing our unique soul essence and honoring the beautiful diversity within our spiritual family. Through the wisdom of Rumi's poetry about soul friendship and the evolution from the Golden Rule to the Platinum Rule - treating others as they wish to be treated - Rev. Kristin invites us to create deeper connections that serve as both safety nets and springboards for our collective becoming. This message calls us to step boldly into our authentic selves as the foundation for building the beloved community we are all meant to co-create.

2025-10-26 October 26, 2025 – "Step Into Your Sageness" In this fourth installment of the "Step into Your Sageness" series, Rev. Kristin explores the profound difference between spirit and soul, defining the soul as our unique spiritual imprint that yearns to be nurtured and expressed. She guides us through understanding how to tend our soul's garden - sometimes lush through nature, art, music, and community, and sometimes arid during necessary desert periods of spiritual growth. Drawing wisdom from mystics like St. John of the Cross and contemporary teacher Mirabai Starr, Rev. Kristin reminds us that as ordinary mystics, we are called not only to cultivate our souls but to transmit our authentic light into the world, recognizing that there is a void in the universe when we fail to share our unique soul expression.

2025-10-19 October 19, 2025 – "Radical Amazement In this transformative message, Rev. Kristin explores the profound spiritual practice of surrender as a pathway to radical amazement, drawing inspiration from Mirabai Starr's "Ordinary Mysticism." She illustrates how true surrender involves both releasing what no longer serves us and opening to the divine mystery that surrounds our everyday experiences, using touching examples from "Tuesdays with Morrie" and personal encounters with the sacred in ordinary moments. Rev. Kristin invites us to embrace our identity as "ordinary mystics," recognizing that when we peel back the layers of resistance and self-consciousness, we discover that our seemingly mundane lives are actually filled with magic, miracles, and divine presence. Through surrender, we can step into our magnificence and walk through life like the Roman goddess Flora, with flowers blooming beneath our feet.

2025-10-12 October 12, 2025 – "Loving Attention and Compost" In this second part of the series on everyday mysticism, the speaker explores how paying loving attention to our daily experiences can transform ordinary moments into sacred encounters. Drawing inspiration from nature's teachings and Brother Lawrence's kitchen monastery wisdom, the message invites us to move beyond constant judging and categorizing toward a deeper awareness that sees the divine in simple activities like cooking, commuting, or even scooping pumpkin seeds. Through contemplative practice and intentional attention, we can become "translucent love light" that serves not only our own spiritual growth but also illuminates the path for others in their darkness.

2025-10-05 Fall Series, part 1 of 7 “The Intentional Everyday Mystic” Rev. Kristin In this opening message of Unity of Walnut Creek's fall series, Rev. Kristin explores the profound truth that we are all mystics living on sacred ground. Drawing inspiration from Jane Goodall's reverence for nature and a simple story of a woman experiencing the divine in a sunset at a traffic light, she invites us to recognize that mystical experiences are not reserved for saints or sages but are available to each of us in our everyday moments. Through setting clear intentions and crossing the thresholds of our daily lives with awareness, we can transform ordinary activities like washing dishes or commuting into sacred ceremonies. Rev. Kristin challenges us to claim our inherent mystical nature and discover the presence of the sacred hidden within the beautiful chaos of our regular lives.

2025-09-28 Prosperity Series, Part 3: Let Go, Let God Rev. Kristin In this powerful conclusion to Unity of Walnut Creek's prosperity series, Rev. Kristin explores the transformative practice of letting go as a pathway to abundance. Using the biblical story of Jacob and Esau, she demonstrates how surrender and forgiveness open our hearts to receive Spirit's gifts, while holding onto resentments and fears keeps us spiritually and emotionally clenched. Through a moving interactive demonstration with community member Scott, Rev. Kristin illustrates how releasing our burdens - whether past hurts, worries, or judgments - creates space for love, peace, and prosperity to flow into our lives. This message reminds us that true abundance comes not from grasping and controlling, but from opening our hands and hearts in trust.

2025-09-21 Prosperity Series, Part 2: You Cannot Outgive the Divine Rev. Kristin In this inspiring message from Unity of Walnut Creek's Prosperity Series, Rev. Kristin explores the profound spiritual truth that "You Cannot Outgive the Divine" through the remarkable story of John D. Rockefeller, who transformed from a sick, miserable millionaire into a generous philanthropist and lived 45 additional years through the healing power of giving. She invites the community to understand prosperity as a flowing river that includes love, peace, creativity, and connection - not just money - emphasizing that generous giving keeps this river flowing while stagnation leads to spiritual and emotional blockages. Through practical examples and personal stories, Rev. Kristin demonstrates how the consciousness behind our giving matters more than the amount, encouraging everyone to stretch beyond their comfort zones in generosity while trusting in the infinite abundance of the Divine.

2025-09-14 Wholly One: Integrating The Innate Masculine and Feminine Rev. Kristin & guests In this transformative message, Rev. Kristin explores the sacred integration of masculine and feminine energies within each person, drawing from the wisdom shared by guest speakers Cynthia and Ugo during Unity of Walnut Creek's gender reconciliation workshop. The conversation reveals how true wholeness emerges when these complementary forces flow together like a river - not in conflict, but in harmonious dance. Through personal stories, practical spiritual practices, and the vision of beloved community, they illuminate how balancing our inner masculine drive with feminine receptivity creates healing not only within ourselves but ripples outward to transform relationships, communities, and our connection to the earth itself.

2025-09-07 How to Prosper series, Part 1 of 3, Bigger Picture Living Rev. Kristin In the opening message of her "How to Prosper" series, Rev. Kristin invites the community to expand their understanding of prosperity beyond material wealth to encompass love, connection, creativity, and spiritual abundance. Drawing from Deepak Chopra's concept of pure potentiality and Carl Jung's wisdom about inner vision, she guides listeners through a powerful visualization exercise where they witness ships of good approaching the shore of their lives. Rev. Kristin emphasizes that true prosperity begins with inner awakening and spiritual alignment, encouraging the congregation to activate their "third eye" and look from the inside out rather than seeking fulfillment from external sources. Through practical examples ranging from Walt Disney's visionary success to Jesus's teachings about the lamp of the body, she demonstrates how widening our spiritual perspective allows divine light to illuminate our path and reveal the magnificent possibilities that await when we live from our field of pure potentiality.

2025-08-31 The Cat That Became A Master Guest: Christopher Brown In this heartwarming and profound message, the speaker shares the transformative journey of Bob the cat, who left the comfort of monastery life to discover authentic spiritual truth in the wilderness. Through Bob's encounters with wise teachers - a magical fish, a turtle, and a badger - we learn that becoming a master of giving and receiving love requires embracing obstacles, trusting our wild nature, and finding the courage to forge our own path rather than following worn trails. Bob's ultimate discovery comes not through spiritual practices or destinations, but through genuine connection with little Mink, teaching us that true awakening happens when we engage so fully in life that we forget ourselves and experience the unity that has always been present.

2025-08-24 Saint Honesty Rev. Kristin Rev. Kristin explores the transformative power of honesty as a spiritual practice, introducing "Saint Honesty" as a holy companion who guides us toward freedom and authentic connection. Through the metaphor of cleansing rain and the parable of the cracked pot, she reveals how honest self-expression - both our human truths and divine nature - creates deeper relationships and inner peace. The message distinguishes between brutal honesty and sacred honesty, emphasizing the importance of speaking truth in love while maintaining compassion and skillfulness in our communications with ourselves, others, and the divine.

2025-08-17 Responses to Your Spiritual Questions Rev. Kristin In this heartfelt Q&A session, Rev. Kristin addresses deeply personal spiritual questions with compassion and wisdom, emphasizing that true answers come from within while offering loving guidance along the way. She explores themes of patience in prayer and manifestation, encouraging viewers to align with Spirit's constant movement rather than waiting for divine intervention, and advocates for feeling into desired outcomes rather than simply visualizing them. Throughout her responses on topics ranging from self-love and life purpose to pain and healing, Rev. Kristin consistently returns to the transformative power of kindness - both toward ourselves and others - as the foundation for spiritual growth and authentic living.

2025-08-10 Unity Basics Series: “Take Right Action” Rev. Kristin In this inspiring message from Unity of Walnut Creek's Unity Basics Series, Rev. Kristin explores the transformative power of taking divinely aligned action as the fifth Unity principle. Using the beloved parable of the man saving starfish one by one, she illustrates how individual actions create meaningful ripples of change, even when we cannot see the full impact. Rev. Kristin emphasizes that right action flows naturally from spiritual consciousness rather than obligation, encouraging listeners to move beyond thoughts and prayers into embodied service that brings our deepest spiritual principles to life in practical, everyday ways.

2025-08-03 Unity Basics Series: “Release and Affirm” Rev. Kristin In this enlightening exploration of Unity's fourth principle, Rev. Kristin guides us through the transformative practice of prayer and meditation as tools for aligning our hearts and minds with Spirit. She reveals how these practices aren't about perfection or complex techniques, but rather the simple yet profound rhythm of release and affirmation - letting go of what blocks us and claiming the divine truth of who we are. Through personal stories and gentle wisdom, she demonstrates how we can shift from "have to" to "get to," transforming burdens into opportunities for deeper spiritual connection. This message reminds us that we don't need mountaintop retreats to access the sacred; we can practice this release and affirmation anywhere, showing up as the light the world needs right now.

2025-07-27 Unity Basics Series: “Co-Creative Fun!” Rev. Kristin

2025-07-20 “Humbled By My Heart” Guest: Rev. Christie Hardwick Rev. Kristin shares deeply personal stories of heart expansion and contraction, from magical encounters with dragonflies and butterflies to a recent heart episode in Italy that served as a wake-up call. Through vulnerable storytelling, she explores how our hearts guide us toward both deep love within our personal constellations and wide love that embraces all humanity, even those who may oppose us. Drawing inspiration from civil rights leader John Lewis and poet Andrea Gibson, she reminds us that we can choose our lane of service while staying open to love, transforming our heartbreaks into places where music and healing flow through us to touch the world.

2025-07-13 Unity Basics Series: “Divine I AM” Rev. Kristin In this powerful exploration of Unity's second principle, Rev. Kristin shares the ancient parable of gods hiding divinity within humans, knowing we'd never think to look inside ourselves for what we seek. She guides the community through the transformative journey from initial resistance to embracing our inherent divine nature, drawing connections between Unity teachings and ancient Hindu wisdom about the Atman and Brahman. Through practical tools like conscious breathing, stillness, and joyful movement (including a delightful community bouncing session), Rev. Kristin demonstrates how simple practices can return us to the land of our soul and help us embody the Christ consciousness that Jesus modeled, reminding us that we are the light of the world.

2025-07-06 “Freedom to Become: Awakening the Creator Within” Guest: Edna Castillo In this powerful message, Rev. Kristin shares her deeply personal journey from Guatemala to the United States, illustrating how true freedom extends far beyond external circumstances to encompass our inner spiritual liberation. Drawing from her experience overcoming cancer through conscious thought and gratitude, she demonstrates how we can transform any challenge by recognizing our divine co-creative power within. Rev. Kristin invites us to embrace our role as spiritual beings living a human experience, using our freedom not just for personal growth but as "love agents" who raise the vibration of our communities and world through peace, compassion, and conscious choice.

2025-06-29 Unity Basic Principles Series, “Permeating Presence” Rev. Kristin In this opening message of Unity's Basic Principles Series, Rev. Kristin explores the profound truth of God's permeating presence, challenging the age-old myth that divinity exists somewhere "out there" beyond our reach. Using Michelangelo's famous "Creation of Adam" as a powerful metaphor, she reveals how centuries of religious imagery have reinforced the false belief in separation between humans and the Divine. Through Susan's moving testimony about finding God's presence during her cancer journey and the biblical story of Elijah discovering the Divine in "sheer silence," Rev. Kristin demonstrates that the sacred presence already dwells within and around us at every moment. She invites the congregation to practice recognizing this ever-present love through simple awareness, breathing, and opening to the Divine that cannot be escaped because it is our very essence.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages