Unity of Walnut Creek

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.

2019-11-24 November 24, 2019 – Thanksgiving Gratitude Rev. Kristin Powell In this heartfelt Thanksgiving message, Rev. Kristin Powell explores gratitude as the simplest and most powerful fast track to happiness, sharing how shifting our inner stories and looking for the good can raise our energy and transform our experience of life. Rev. Kristin Powell discusses common blocks to expressing gratitude - including vulnerability, the fear of owing others, and resistance to interdependence - while offering practical ways to deepen our practice, from journaling to anonymous giving to expressing appreciation with strangers. With warmth and humor, including a tender story about a foster dog who embodies pure receiving, Rev. Kristin Powell invites us to give thanks as a joyful gift to ourselves and the world.

2019-11-17 November 17, 2019 – Creating In-Depth Spiritual Connection Rev. David McArthur Rev. David McArthur explores the transformative practice of creating conscious spiritual connection by shifting from the brain's default responses of frustration and anxiety into the heart's deeper wisdom. Drawing on real-life stories - including his son Peter's experience supporting his wife through a difficult career decision, and a young mother navigating a challenging co-parenting moment - Rev. David McArthur illustrates how activating the feeling of love through intentional heart-centered breathing connects us to the infinite wisdom of our soul. He invites us all to simply breathe love in every moment, especially the challenging ones, to access the clarity, peace, and oneness that is our true nature.

2019-11-10 November 10, 2019 – Finding Common Groundedness Rev. Kristin Powell

2019-11-03 November 3, 2019 – How We Meet Adversity Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores how we meet adversity by drawing on the Hawaiian story of a grandmother who discovers her grandson simply needed to be lifted up to see the beauty she was pointing to - a powerful metaphor for shifting our vantage point. She examines common responses to challenge - compliance, striking back, and fleeing - and how each can lead to disconnection and even dehumanization when left unchecked. Using the inspiring example of Harriet Tubman, Rev. Kristin Powell offers three essential steps for navigating adversity: pray first, speak truth freely, and act with courage. She reminds us that adversity is always temporary and that we can choose to be the light that overcomes darkness.

2019-10-27 October 27, 2019 – With Spiritual Community Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the ancient story of the Tower of Babel as a metaphor for what happens when we try to reach the divine through outer means rather than inner connection. Drawing from Charles Fillmore's teachings and Mark Nepo's book "More Together Than Alone," she illuminates how true community is built through bonding before building - connecting heart to heart and spirit to spirit before embarking on shared projects. Rev. Kristin Powell reminds us that like birds singing their unique soul songs at dawn, we each have something beautiful to contribute, and our diversity becomes strength when grounded in spiritual connection and conscious oneness.

2019-10-20 October 20, 2019 – Centers of Light Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the vital importance of finding and nurturing our "centers of light" - those sacred gathering places where we recharge, connect, and remember who we truly are. Drawing from the wisdom of Mark Nepo's "More Together Than Alone," she reminds us that we are wired for community, much like ancient peoples who gathered around fire for song, ritual, and connection. Rev. Kristin Powell also embraces the wholeness of light and dark, sharing the Haida creation story of Raven helping humans emerge from darkness, teaching us that moving toward - not away from - the dark allows us to bring forth even greater light into the world.

2019-10-13 October 13, 2019 – Two Tribes in Islands of Time Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the theme of community through Mark Nepo's book "More Together Than Alone," inviting us to choose the mindset of "you're different - come teach me" rather than separation and fear. Drawing on Unity of Walnut Creek's core values of love, wisdom, connection, and service, she shares stories of hospitality from her travels in India and reflects on how genuine human connection naturally emerges when we trust ourselves and one another. Rev. Kristin Powell encourages us to redefine wealth not by what we accumulate but by what we generously give away, becoming spiritual citizens for the world.

2019-10-06 October 6, 2019 – We Are They Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin Powell explores the transformative power of recognizing that "we are they" - that the separation we create between ourselves and others is an illusion obscuring our fundamental oneness. Drawing inspiration from Oriah Mountain Dreamer's post-9/11 retreat exercise and the remarkable Pando aspen grove in Utah - 47,000 trees sharing one root system - Rev. Kristin Powell illustrates how community thrives when we care for all parts of the whole rather than otherizing those we perceive as different. She invites us to release the myth of the lone wolf, remember each other's divine nature even in difficult moments, and commit to building authentic community rooted in our shared source.

2019-09-29 September 29, 2019 – Self-Care for Turbulent Times Karen Drucker Karen Drucker delivers a joyful and heartfelt message on self-care for turbulent times, weaving music and storytelling together to remind us that we always have a choice in how we start our day and respond to life's challenges. She encourages the community to practice presence, kindness, and vulnerability - sharing touching stories of simple human connection that reveal how honoring those gentle "God taps" can create profound moments of healing. Karen Drucker affirms that the greatest gift we can offer the world is recognizing our own worthiness and choosing to see and connect with one another, one heart at a time.

2019-09-22 September 22, 2019 – A Watering Hole for the Spirit Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress Rev. Kristin Powell shares the fascinating story of how she brought the labyrinth to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and explores why this ancient walking meditation serves as a profound watering hole for the spirit. Drawing from her personal journey through the AIDS crisis, burnout, and a transformative encounter with a taped-floor labyrinth, Rev. Kristin Powell reveals how this 4,000-year-old tool orders chaos, quiets the monkey mind, and mirrors the soul's deepest longings. She invites us to consider that as we move into a new era of divine oneness and connection, the labyrinth intensifies the quantum field where our open hearts become magnets for our next step.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages