Unity of Walnut Creek

2022-06-12 June 12, 2022 – Forgiveness – The Fourth Pillar Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin concludes a five-week prosperity series by exploring forgiveness as the fourth and final pillar - alongside generosity, gratitude, and vision - that allows divine abundance to flow freely through our lives. She illuminates how unforgiveness imprisons us, sharing the powerful story of Stephanie Cassatley who forgave her mother's killer after 20 years and experienced profound release and healing. Rev. Kristin offers practical tools for forgiveness work, including end-of-day reflection and a writing exercise that separates facts from interpretation, reminding us that choosing happiness over being right opens the door to true prosperity and freedom.

2022-06-05 June 5, 2022 – Generosity – The Third Pillar Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin explores generosity as the third pillar of prosperity, using the vivid metaphor of fleas in a lidded pot to illustrate how self-imposed limitations block our natural flow of giving and receiving. She invites us to examine the subconscious beliefs about money and wealth formed in childhood - such as the notion that poverty is noble - and to release these "lids" so we can participate fully in the spiritual law of circulation. Through heartwarming stories of everyday kindness and unconditional giving, Rev. Kristin reminds us that generosity flows in countless forms and always returns multiplied, encouraging us to affirm together: "I am wealthy and generous."

2022-05-29 May 29, 2022 – Gratitude – The Second Pillar Karen Drucker Karen Drucker explores the transformative power of radical gratitude - not as a spiritual bypass that dismisses pain, but as a practice that holds space for both devastation and joy simultaneously. Through personal stories, humor, and song, Karen Drucker invites us to find even the smallest spark of gratitude during life's darkest moments, sharing how shifting "I've got to" to "I get to" can change everything. She reminds us that gratitude is a daily practice that brings us back to presence, opens our hearts to community, and helps us truly see one another in a world that desperately needs connection.

2022-05-22 Prosperity Series, Part 2: Vision In this heartfelt message, Rev. Kristin explores vision as the second pillar in the Prosperity Series, inviting us to recognize how our dreams, creations, and choices ripple outward to prosper the world in ways we may never fully see. Through the story of Leo Stefano - whose simple desire to keep his son safe led to the creation of the Dove Bar - she illustrates how even small acts of creative response can generate abundance across generations. Rev. Kristin encourages us to allow pain to push us forward until we are pulled by a greater vision, casting a collective replacement vision rooted in joy, equality, and conscious oneness.

2022-05-15 May 15, 2022 – Build on a Foundation of Faith Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell launches a new prosperity series by sharing her inspiring personal story of following divine guidance to move from the Midwest to California - a journey marked by synchronicities, trust, and spiritual flow. She explores how faith serves as the essential foundation upon which all prosperity is built, defining faith as a deep knowing in the heart that transcends proof or explanation. Drawing on the biblical teachings of "ask and it is given" and the mustard seed parable, Rev. Kristin Powell invites listeners to identify what they truly know, strengthen their connection with spirit, and release the mountains of doubt that block their good.

2022-05-08 May 8, 2022 – Mother: Divine and Earthly Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a heartfelt Mother's Day message exploring the Divine Mother as both the allness of God - that permeating, nurturing presence available to us at all times - and the eachness of divine feminine qualities within every person regardless of gender. Drawing on the mystical vision of St. Andrew, the story of Mary weaving scarlet and purple threads, and the wisdom of Julian of Norwich, Rev. Kristin invites us to weave together our humanity and divinity into a seamless whole. She encourages us to find our own sacred power spots where we can be spiritually nurtured and refilled, so we may then carry the mother's gifts of compassion, tenderness, and unconditional love back into a world that deeply needs them.

2022-05-01 May 1, 2022 – FEAR…Friend, Foe or…? Rev. Verona Garland Rev. Verona Garland delivers a vibrant and deeply personal exploration of fear, inviting us to see it not as an enemy but as a growth opportunity woven into the oneness of spirit. Drawing from the Science of Mind textbook, personal stories, and her own vulnerability about facing cataract surgery, she offers three powerful tools for dancing with fear - faith, thinking God thoughts, and remembrance of who we truly are. With warmth, humor, and infectious enthusiasm, Rev. Verona Garland reminds us that fear is simply faith misplaced, and encourages us to face everything and rise.

2022-04-24 April 24, 2022 – Sacred Heart, Sacred Home Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell draws a powerful parallel between the regeneration of Krakatoa after its catastrophic eruption and humanity's capacity for spiritual renewal, reminding us that what may appear to be breakdown is actually breakthrough. She invites us to uncover rather than recover - peeling back the layers of expectation and false narrative to reveal the sacred truth beneath, much like pulling back heavy ground cover to find fertile soil ready for new life. Through the Hawaiian practice of Ho'oponopono and the Celtic wisdom of expecting to find light in one another, Rev. Kristin Powell encourages us to breathe, heal, and plant new life as we participate in the emergence of a new earth born from awakened consciousness.

2022-04-17 April 17, 2022 – Rise Up! Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell delivers a powerful Easter message exploring how resurrection is not just a historical event but a daily spiritual practice available to each of us. Drawing from her own transformative experience on a vision fast in Death Valley and the inspiring story of a young woman who overcame crippling anxiety through changing her thoughts, Rev. Kristin Powell offers a practical acronym - RIGHT - standing for Resurrection, Inquiring and Investing in joy, Gratitude, Heart care, and True thoughts. She reminds us that the depth of Easter comes not from skipping over life's challenges but from rising through them, carrying our wisdom forward as we awaken each morning to the truth of who we are.

2022-04-10 April 10, 2022 – The Garden Path Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell weaves together the parable of a bird nesting peacefully beside a cascading waterfall with the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to explore what true peace means - not the absence of chaos, but an unshakable inner calm found through surrender and non-resistance. Drawing on the examples of Gandhi and Peace Pilgrim, she invites us to lay down our weapons of judgment, fear, and defensiveness, and instead lean into life's difficulties with faith and openness. Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that a few souls in harmony with the divine will are more powerful than multitudes out of harmony, encouraging us all to be like that little bird - sitting in peace, singing our song of truth, and walking in the light.

2022-04-07 April 3, 2022 – Atonement

2022-04-03 April 3, 2022 – Atonement Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin explores the profound spiritual practice of atonement - understood as "at-one-ment" - through the remarkable story of the Amish community's immediate forgiveness following the 2006 Nickel Mines schoolhouse tragedy and the Dagari tribe's practice of uplifting those who have lost their way. She invites us to consider forgiveness not merely as a mental exercise but as an active movement toward reparation and reconciliation rooted in our fundamental oneness with all life and with the divine. Rev. Kristin offers practical steps for daily forgiveness practice and encourages us to take the first courageous action toward healing in our own lives and in the world.

2022-03-27 March 27, 2022 – Illumined Soul Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin draws from a breathtaking experience of paddling an outrigger canoe during a moon eclipse - where bioluminescence lit up the dark waters - to illuminate the path of the illumined soul. She explores how beauty and light emerge from darkness, reminding us that just as the yin-yang symbol teaches, there is always light within the dark and our inner lamp can never be extinguished. Rev. Kristin offers practical ways to walk this path - finding light in difficult times, unmasking our truest selves, experimenting with illuminating practices, and letting the ego bow in service to divine guidance. Using the metaphor of outrigger canoeing, she invites us to shine our individual lights while paddling together in the boat of humanity.

2022-03-20 March 20, 2022 – Harnessing the Storm Within Our Own Hearts Rev. Sheila Johnson Rev. Sheila Ford explores how true world peace begins with harnessing the storms within our own hearts, drawing from Unity co-founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore and the Costa Rican poem Resur to illuminate the path inward. She offers four practical tools for cultivating inner peace - meditation, prayer, awareness of our feelings, and HeartMath coherence techniques - reminding us that before we can direct the lightning in the sky, we must first tend to the fire within. Rev. Sheila Ford invites us to become candles of comfort, burning with peace that ripples from one horizon to the next.

2022-03-13 March 13, 2022 – Holding Space Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin explores the sacred practice of holding space as a powerful healing tool rooted in Unity's founding legacy. Drawing on the example of co-founder Myrtle Fillmore's healing ministry, she presents a "Triple A" framework - Attend, Allow, and Attune - for becoming skilled spiritual space holders in a world that desperately needs compassionate witnesses. Rev. Kristin invites us to show up with open hearts, resist the urge to fix or bypass pain, and trust that the divine presence working through us can bring comfort and transformation to those who are hurting - whether a neighbor, a loved one, or an entire nation in crisis.

2022-03-06 March 6, 2022 – Peacin’ It Together Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin weaves together the Season for Nonviolence and the Lenten season, inviting us to fast from aggression, judgment, and negativity while feasting on prayer, vision, and silence. She reminds us that no person or nation can stand in the way of God's goodness for humanity, encouraging us to pray even for those who have lost their way rather than giving our power away to fear or rage. Drawing on wisdom from Pema Chodron, Valerie Kaur, and young Nicosi Johnson, Rev. Kristin calls us to do all we can with what we have, right where we are - holding visions of peace, shielding the world in love, and trusting that our inner work truly changes the tide.

2022-02-27 February 27, 2022 – Perfect Peace in Imperfect Conditions Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a powerful message on cultivating inner peace during turbulent times, drawing inspiration from Gandhi's lifelong practice of using a mantra to transform fear into fearlessness. She shares how Gandhi's childhood nanny taught him to steady his mind by repeating "Rama Rama" - comparing the restless mind to an elephant's trunk that calms when given something to hold - and invites the congregation to discover their own personal mantra through spirit. Rev. Kristin reminds us that we each have a responsibility to ground ourselves in peace through prayer, meditation, and mantra practice, so that we can be a steady hand for others rather than getting pulled into the quicksand of fear and drama surrounding us.

2022-02-20 February 20, 2022 – The Timely Metaphysics of Noah’s Ark Rev. Kristin Powell

2022-02-13 February 13, 2022 – I’m Choosing Love Today Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin shares a powerful story of a Sikh woman named Avnit who, when confronted by a stranger's hateful outburst in a grocery store, stood her ground and simply repeated "I love you" until the aggressor broke down in tears - demonstrating what it looks like to respond from divine love rather than fear. Drawing on Unity's teaching of the 12 powers, the concept of oneness, and the wisdom of compassion, Rev. Kristin invites us to build a spiritual constitution strong enough to meet any adversity with love by breaking up with our inner judge and victim, recommitting to our true selves, and choosing love today.

2022-02-06 February 6, 2022 – Synchronicity & Flow: Starting from Wholeness in the New Year Sky Nelson-Isaacs Sky Nelson explores the concept of starting from wholeness rather than emptiness, inviting listeners to shift from asking "how do we get something from nothing?" to "how do we create something from everything?" Drawing on his background as a physicist, he uses the metaphor of rainbows and frequency filters to illustrate how solutions already exist within our lives - we simply need to remove what blocks us from seeing them. Through a personal story about joining his brother's band and rediscovering his voice, Sky Nelson demonstrates the power of saying "not no" to unexpected opportunities, showing how synchronicities can guide us toward fulfilling intentions we may not even consciously recognize.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages