Unity of Walnut Creek

2025-05-18 My Sacred Service Rev. Kristin Rev. Kristin celebrates the joy of sacred service, exploring how giving is wired into our very nature and becomes most fulfilling when it flows from abundance rather than obligation. She introduces the concept of "the hum" - that satisfying feeling when we are in the flow of contributing to others - and guides the congregation through a Tai Chi energy exercise to illustrate how we gather, store, and share spiritual energy. Inspired by Jane Addams' philosophy of "peace weaving," Rev. Kristin invites the community to explore new ways of expanding their service beyond familiar boundaries, reminding us that we spiritually grow and find ourselves more fully through giving to others.

2025-05-11 May 11, 2025 – “Divine Mother Supports Me” Rev. Kristin Powell In this heartwarming Mother's Day message, Rev. Kristin explores the profound and accessible nature of Divine Mother Love, drawing from both personal experiences and universal spiritual truths. She invites listeners to recognize the many forms of nurturing support they've received - from biological mothers to caregivers, mentors, and the Divine Mother herself - encouraging gratitude for the "nest builders" who have shaped their lives. Through beautiful imagery of hummingbird mothers and ancient symbols like the Egyptian throne of Isis, she illustrates how this unconditional love manifests as both gentle compassion and powerful strength. Rev. Kristin offers practical spiritual tools for accessing this support, including finding one's personal "throne" or sacred space for renewal and learning to lean into the scaffolding of love that surrounds us always.

2025-05-04 May 4, 2025 – “Learning to Trust Yourself” Guest Speaker: Tama Kieves In this inspiring message on "Learning to Trust Yourself," the speaker shares her transformative journey from a successful but unfulfilling law career to becoming a bestselling author by following her inner guidance. She explores three essential practices for trusting yourself: following your breadcrumbs by listening to moment-by-moment spiritual guidance rather than trying to plan an inspired life, seeing yourself differently as "the beloved" who is connected to divine love and limitless possibilities, and undoing limiting beliefs that block you from recognizing love's presence in your life. Through powerful personal stories, including her miraculous path to publishing and childhood memories about red shoes, she demonstrates how our beliefs shape our reality and how learning to trust our inner wisdom opens us to infinite possibilities and allows us to become the answer the world needs.

2025-04-27 “Earth Rise, We Rise” Rev. Kristin In this inspiring Earth Day and Easter message, Rev. Kristin explores the profound interconnection between our bodies and Mother Earth, drawing from the iconic "Earthrise" photograph that awakened humanity's environmental consciousness. She beautifully weaves together spiritual wisdom from mystics like Hildegard von Bingen with practical insights about living in harmony with nature's seasons and rhythms. Through personal stories and poetic reflections, Rev. Kristin invites us to shift from mindless consumption to mindful communion, recognizing that as we care for our body temple, we simultaneously nurture our sacred planet. This message calls us to embrace what deep ecologist Joanna Macy terms "the greening of self" - expanding our perspective to feel empathy for all creation and remembering that we are truly walking each other home in this beautiful dance of life.

2025-04-20 April 20, 2025 – “Rise and Shine” Rev. Kristin Powell

2025-04-18 Communion Service Rev. Kristin

2025-04-13 April 13, 2025 – “Jesus Fears Too” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a powerful Palm Sunday message exploring Jesus' full humanity during Holy Week, highlighting how even this master teacher experienced anger, sadness, disappointment, loneliness, and fear. She invites listeners into the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed "take this cup from me," showing that acknowledging fear is not weakness but a doorway to courage and deeper surrender to divine will. Rev. Kristin reminds us that fear need not paralyze us - instead, we can befriend it, give our burdens over to spirit, and rise to meet our circumstances with love and truth, just as Jesus modeled for us all.

2025-04-06 April 6, 2025 – “The Alchemy of Reconciliation” Guest Speakers: Annette Williams & Matt DeArmon Annette Williams and Max DeArmon explore the sacred journey of reconciling the masculine and feminine through their work with the Jerry program, a global community dedicated to transforming systemic violence and oppression around gender and sexuality. Annette shares how embracing the sacred feminine brought her home to herself, while Max invites us to see beyond toxic masculinity to the wounded masculine that needs healing through safe spaces and vulnerable truth-telling. Together they illuminate how creating beloved community - where people share their deepest stories without judgment - enables an alchemical process of reconciliation that awakens our shared divinity and moves us toward mutual reverence across all human differences.

2025-03-30 March 30, 2025 – “Peace Begins With Me” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a heartfelt exploration of how true peace starts within each of us and radiates outward into our relationships and the world. Drawing from her sabbatical experience in Egypt - where a diverse busload of strangers became friends on a pilgrimage to ancient monasteries - she illustrates how the same person can embody both division and connection, reminding us that every person we encounter is somebody's child, sibling, or parent. Rev. Kristin invites us to examine how we show up in our closest relationships, encouraging us to shift from judgment to compassion and to recommit to being the peace we wish to see in the world.

2025-03-23 Peace Series, Part 2 ; “Keep Calm & Carry On” Rev. Kristin In this uplifting message from the Peace Series, Rev. Kristin explores how we can find lasting calm by allowing our divine nature to take the lead rather than letting the ego run the show. Using a charming story about a dog named Chaos who transformed once his owners reclaimed their role at the front door, Rev. Kristin illustrates how our own lives shift when we let spirit guide us instead of reacting from fear or habit. Drawing on Charles Fillmore's teaching about the trinity of mind, Rev. Kristin offers practical wisdom about clearing mental clutter through meditation, consuming nourishing spiritual food, and deliberately impressing truth upon our subconscious - so we can truly keep calm and carry on.

2025-03-16 March 16, 2025 – “The Olive Branch” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin opens this powerful three-part series on peace by weaving together the ancient symbolism of the olive branch with the transformative practice of radical forgiveness. Drawing from her own pilgrimage to Assisi, the resilient olive trees of Athens, and Colin Tipping's five steps of radical forgiveness, she invites us to consider to whom we might extend an olive branch in our own lives. Rev. Kristin closes with the breathtaking true story of an unnamed South African woman at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission who embodied extraordinary forgiveness - reminding us that we too are capable of the profound, healing love that brings us home to peace.

2025-03-09 March 9, 2025 – “Stay Spiritually Current” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin invites us to stay spiritually current by exploring what it means to live fully in the present moment and flow with divine energy. Drawing on wisdom from Lao Tzu, John O'Donohue, and the contemplative traditions of Lent and Ramadan, she encourages us to release the mental blocks - worry, unfelt grief, and future-focused anxiety - that keep us from experiencing our true aliveness. Rev. Kristin reminds us that when we allow ourselves to be fully present in the now, we naturally move into the wow - that place of wonder, surprise, and deep connection with the divine flow that is always available to us.

2025-03-02 March 2, 2025 – “Clear The Path” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a powerful message about clearing the physical, mental, and emotional clutter that blocks our connection to the divine flow. Drawing on the KonMari method, train-of-thought metaphors, and chaos theory's butterfly effect, Rev. Kristin illustrates how releasing worry, fear, and limiting beliefs opens pathways to peace and prosperity. She reminds us that even small shifts in our thinking can create massive positive change in the world, encouraging us to trust divine order beneath apparent chaos. Rev. Kristin invites us to remember who we truly are - ambassadors of light whose cleared paths make way for fulfillment, freedom, and collective healing.

2025-02-23 February 23, 2025 – “Come in Closer” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin opens this three-part "How Now?" series with a tender invitation to come closer - closer to Spirit, closer to ourselves, and closer to one another. Drawing on the wisdom of Unity co-founder Myrtle Fillmore, the mystic Julian of Norwich, and the poet Hafiz, Rev. Kristin reminds us that love, peace, and comfort are always available when we simply pause, slow down, and open the door to what is already within us. She encourages us to lower our shields, build bridges of trust, and remember that drawing near to the Divine and to each other is how we heal, connect, and embody the unconditional love that is our true nature.

2025-02-16 February 16, 2025 – “Cultivating a Heart of Peace” Rev. Johanna van Gelder Rev. Dr. Johanna van Gelder explores the transformative power of cultivating a heart at peace during the Season for Nonviolence, drawing inspiration from Senator John Lewis's commitment to seeing the divine spark in every person - even those who opposed him. She distinguishes between acting from a heart at peace versus a heart at war, showing how justification and "horribilizing" can escalate when we resist returning to love. Rev. Dr. Johanna van Gelder offers practical tools for this daily practice, including listening to the body's wisdom, inviting just two percent more love, and channeling beloved mentors in difficult moments.

2025-02-09 February 9, 2025 – “Discover a Deeper Love” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin invites us to discover a deeper, more embodied love by exploring the surprising spiritual pathway of longing - that deep yearning within us that we so often suppress or run from. Drawing on the rich history of Saint Valentine, Rumi's poetry, and her own transformative experience on a recent retreat, Rev. Kristin reveals that our longing is not a sign of lack but is itself the return message from the Divine - the very connection we seek. She encourages us to welcome our longing, honor the sacredness of our bodies, and allow this reunion to lead us home to the everlasting pool of love that lives within each of us.

2025-02-02 February 2, 2024 – “A Brief Mystery of God” Guest Speaker: Greg Tamblyn Greg Tamblyn brings his unique blend of humor, music, and spiritual curiosity to Unity of Walnut Creek in this delightful exploration of life's biggest mysteries - from the nature of God to love to cosmic connection. Through original songs like "A Brief History of God" and personal stories - including a memorable tale about a destroyed guitar that became an unexpected blessing - Greg Tamblyn invites us to embrace wonder and humor as our healthiest responses to the unknowable. He reminds us that whether through string theory or mystical wisdom, we are all connected as vibrating strings in one cosmic symphony, and that seeking understanding serves us far better than demanding certainty.

2025-01-26 January 26, 2025 – “The Divine Gender Dance” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a powerful and deeply personal exploration of the divine feminine and sacred masculine, tracing how patriarchy disrupted the original wholeness of creation and wounded humanity's collective spirit. Drawing from scripture, history, and her own childhood experience of being denied the role of acolyte simply for being a girl, she illuminates how the suppression of feminine energy has left us all feeling insecure and out of balance. Rev. Kristin calls us to welcome home the fragmented parts of ourselves, embrace both sacred masculine and divine feminine energies, and commit to healing through grace, compassion, and courageous truth-telling in community.

2025-01-19 January 19, 2025 – “Not My Problem, Or Is It?” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin delivers a powerful message about the interconnectedness of all our actions, drawing from a Burmese folk tale about a king who dismisses a small drop of honey on a windowsill - only to watch it escalate into the destruction of his entire kingdom. Weaving in the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, Rev. Kristin reminds us that no action is too small to matter, and that we are all caught in an "inescapable network of mutuality." She encourages us to ground ourselves in spiritual power, embrace right action, and recognize that our very presence - however we show up - has profound impact on the world around us.

2025-01-12 January 12, 2025 – “The Hidden Gifts We Exchange” Rev. Kristin Powell Rev. Kristin invites us to discover the hidden gifts exchanged in every interaction - from a chance conversation with a young server in Costa Rica to a silent encounter with a great horned owl on a hike. Through the charming story of a boy who frees an owl and discovers he has already received the gift of animal communication, Rev. Kristin illuminates how presence, wonder, and openness reveal the magic woven through our daily exchanges. She encourages us to show up with full attention, listen with our hearts, and dwell in possibility - trusting that spirit reveals our hidden capabilities through the connections we share.

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages