Unity of Walnut Creek

2024-03-03 March 3, 2024 – Prayer From The Heart Rev. Dr. Johanna Van Gelder Rev. Dr. Johanna Van Gelder explores the transformative practice of affirmative prayer, explaining how this form of prayer used in the Unity and New Thought traditions is not about begging God to change circumstances but about shifting our consciousness to recognize the divine qualities already within us. She walks through the five steps of affirmative prayer - preparation, purpose, recognition, gratitude, and release - while emphasizing that authentic prayer comes from the heart and engages our feelings and senses rather than being merely a mental exercise. Through powerful stories, including a personal experience praying for her brother's wholeness and the inspiring work of an interfaith prayer group in Jerusalem, Rev. Dr. Johanna Van Gelder illustrates how prayer strengthens community, honors human dignity, and makes a difference whether we pray for ourselves, our loved ones, or the world.

2024-03-02 March 3, 2024 – Prayer From The Heart

2024-02-25 February 25, 2024 – You Are Enough Guest Speaker: Susan Angelos Susan Angelos delivers a powerful and heartfelt message exploring what it truly means to be enough - not perfect, not self-sufficient, not flawless, but simply fit for purpose exactly as we are. Drawing from scripture, personal stories, and nearly a decade of her own spiritual journey, she invites listeners into what she lovingly calls "the cult of enough," a radical embrace of our perfectly imperfect selves. Susan reminds us that enoughness is not earned or conditional - it is the spark of the divine already within each of us, waiting to be revealed rather than achieved.

2024-02-24 February 25, 2024 – You Are Enough

2024-02-18 February 18, 2024 – Can Your Love Ailerons Take The Pressure? Rev. Verona Garland Rev. Verona Garland draws on her years as an international flight attendant to offer a powerful aviation metaphor for navigating life's challenges, exploring how the three movements of an aircraft - pitch, yaw, and roll - correspond to spiritual stamina, tungsten tenacity, and remembrance resilience. She shares the inspiring story of Mildred and Richard Loving, whose interracial marriage in 1958 required all three qualities to overcome legal persecution, and reflects on her own experience presenting before an idol at a conference in Kenya. Rev. Verona Garland invites us to consider what pressures our "love ailerons" face and reminds us that spirit may be using that very pressure to shape us into magnificent expressions of the divine, with self-love lighting the way forward.

2024-02-11 February 11, 2024 – Cultivating Compassion Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin concludes the five-week "Jump Start Your Heart" series by exploring the transformative power of compassion through an ancient Jewish temple ritual where those walking in opposite directions would pause to ask one another, "What happened to you?" - a profound act of witnessing that reminds us grief does not heal in isolation. Drawing on the parable of the Good Samaritan, the story of Anthony Hinton on death row, and the Buddhist tale of Kiso Gotami, Rev. Kristin invites us to go to the edges of our circles of love, release tribal thinking, and embrace our shared humanity. She reminds us that compassion flows from an infinite spiritual source that energizes rather than depletes, and that by staying open-hearted - including toward ourselves - we participate in healing communities, nations, and our world.

2024-02-04 February 4, 2024 – Love and Leadership Rev. Kristin and Vicky Elder engage in a rich conversation about love, leadership, and purpose, exploring how true leadership is not confined to formal roles but lives within each of us as we navigate our daily lives. Vicky Elder shares how her journey from state government to ministry revealed that lasting change comes through shifting consciousness rather than top-down authority, and that spiritual leadership operates as "power under" rather than "power over" - lifting others up through love. Together they explore how life's difficulties arrive like personal letters addressed to us, offering opportunities for growth, and how surrendering to divine purpose allows us to lead with wholeness and authenticity.

2024-01-28 January 28, 2023 – Grounded In Stillness Rev. Kristin Powell In this contemplative message, Rev. Kristin explores the transformative power of stillness as part three of the Jump Start Your Heart series, drawing inspiration from Pico Iyer's writings and Leonard Cohen's monastic journey to reveal how going nowhere can fill us with everything. Rev. Kristin weaves together wisdom from world scriptures, personal stories, and practical insights to show that stillness is not a retreat from life but a doorway to seeing the world more clearly and loving it more deeply. Through playful anecdotes - from meditating through a snoring dog to a football player finding empty spaces on the field - Rev. Kristin invites us to mind the gaps between thoughts, look for the empty spaces, and discover that it is in stillness where creativity, joy, and divine presence await us.

2024-01-21 January 21, 2024 – Creative Passion Rev. Kristin Powell

2024-01-14 January 14, 2024 – The Law of Circulation Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin launches a powerful new series on the Law of Circulation by weaving together the parable of the Good Samaritan with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s transformative insight - that the question "If I do not stop to help, what will happen to him?" is the catalyst for true change. She explores how giving from a pure heart initiates an infinite flow of abundance, much like blood circulating through the body, and challenges listeners to release contracted thinking about scarcity and fixed limitations. Rev. Kristin reminds us that we cannot outgive God, inviting us to bust open our limited thinking and trust the divine flow of generosity that makes us fully alive.

2024-01-07 January 7, 2024 – White Stone Ceremony: Your Gift for 2024 Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin leads Unity of Walnut Creek's traditional White Stone Ceremony for 2024, weaving together the charming story of "Chip the Monk" to illustrate our spiritual journey - from the great forgetting of our true nature, through our soul's arrival and training, to stepping boldly into our purpose. Through this delightful allegory and guided meditation, Rev. Kristin invites each person to receive a sacred word or quality from spirit, written on a white stone as a reminder of the fresh start and divine gift available to us in the new year.

2023-12-31 December 31, 2023 – Uncherished Gifts Vanish Christopher Brown delivers a heartfelt message on the transformative power of gratitude as we stand at the threshold of a new year. He reminds us that uncherished gifts vanish - that when we fail to appreciate what we already have, we lose sight of the abundance surrounding us. Through personal stories, including his own journey with chronic back pain and a life-changing encounter with a blind man on the street, Christopher Brown illustrates how shifting our focus from complaint to gratitude opens the heart and becomes the creative force that moves mountains. He invites us to feed the wolf of gratitude, fill our grace bank accounts, and remember that cherishing our lives exactly as they are is the foundation for all transformation.

2023-12-24 December 24, 2023 – Living Joy Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a deeply moving Advent message on living joy, weaving together the dramatic first-person narrative of Mary's journey to Bethlehem with powerful modern parallels - from the Grinch's discovery that Christmas cannot be stolen, to the faithful young Christians gathering in Bethlehem this year despite canceled celebrations. Rev. Kristin reminds us that no outer circumstance can touch the sacred light within us, inviting us to follow our intuition like the wise men followed the star, trusting the promise of goodness even through fear and uncertainty. This message calls us to courageously birth forth the Christ consciousness within us, knowing that new life and joy await on the other side of our yes.

2023-12-17 December 17, 2023 – Living Love Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a moving Advent message on the transformative power of love, using Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem as a lens for understanding how love dissolves anger, restores balance, and awakens us to our divine nature. She explores how anger signals a loss of light and how dropping into the heart reveals deeper feelings that open the door to healing. Rev. Kristin passionately speaks to the restoration of the divine feminine - our feeling nature and intuition - as essential for bringing balance to a world dominated by overt masculine energy, reminding us that love is both our origin and our pathway home.

2023-12-10 December 10, 2023 – Living Peace Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin explores the sacred gift of "light-minded soul companions" - those who walk beside us on our spiritual journey, helping us find peace even in dark and challenging times. Drawing from the story of Mary and Elizabeth finding reassurance together during Advent, Rev. Kristin distinguishes between "like-minded" and "light-minded" connections, encouraging us to seek companions who may come from diverse backgrounds yet share a commitment to spiritual growth. Through inspiring examples ranging from the Three Amigos interfaith clergy to Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, she invites us to open our hearts to prayer partnerships and soul friendships that stretch us toward our magnificence while helping us discover peace through both light and darkness.

2023-12-08 December 10, 2023 – Living Peace

2023-12-03 December 3, 2023 – Living Faith Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a powerful message about trusting our spiritual experiences rather than discounting them over time, sharing her own profound story of direct communication with her father after his passing. Through the metaphor of breaking through a board - where muscling through with bravado failed but softening into fear and opening to divine presence made it feel like butter - Rev. Kristin illustrates that faith is not about powering over fear but moving through it with compassion and surrender. She invites the community to lean into their inner knowing, honor their spiritual experiences, and live in constant connection with spirit, walking "right down the line" toward the ever-unfolding revelation of Christ consciousness within.

2023-11-26 November 26, 2023 – Living The Questions Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin leads an engaging open forum where she responds to heartfelt spiritual questions from her community, exploring themes of forgiveness, Advent preparation, navigating the "middle muddle" of spiritual growth, finding hope during chronic challenges, and staying present to God amid worldly chaos. With warmth and wisdom, Rev. Kristin reminds us that the spiritual journey is not a solo endeavor - guiding the community through a powerful visualization of shared Christ light expanding outward to transform suffering into harmony. She encourages curiosity, self-compassion, and the courage to follow our hearts as we live into life's deepest questions together.

2023-11-22 November 19, 2023 – The Two Branches of Gratitude

2023-11-19 November 19, 2023 – The Two Branches of Gratitude Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin explores the transformative power of gratitude through the parable of two sets of travelers encountering a shade tree - one pair longing for what they lack, the other overflowing with appreciation for what is present. Drawing on the wisdom of Brother Steindl-Rast's two branches of gratitude - gratefulness that fills us up and thanksgiving that flows outward to others - Rev. Kristin invites us to live within this beautiful cycle of receiving and giving. She also honors Native American Heritage Month with a call toward truth-telling and shares the inspiring story of the Pachamama Alliance as a modern Thanksgiving vision of shifting consciousness toward sufficiency and connection.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages