Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages
- 2024
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2024-07-21
July 21, 2024 – “Heart of Love”
Rev. Kristin Powell
In this powerful second installment of the Humanity's Evolution series, Rev. Kristin explores the heart as our ultimate solution center and portal to divine love, drawing from First Corinthians 13 to illuminate how spiritual maturity moves us from ego consciousness to eco consciousness. Rev. Kristin reminds us that love is not something we need to figure out but rather something we are built to flow out - through patience, courage, vulnerability, and open-heartedness in every relationship and circumstance. With personal stories and profound wisdom, Rev. Kristin affirms that our lives are fail-safed in love and that we are here, together, to let divine love evolve our human family.
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2024-07-14
Humanity’s Evolution, Part 1: "Body of Light"
Rev. Kristin launches an inspiring new series on humanity's evolution by reminding us that we each hold a "golden ticket" - the gift of being embodied on earth during this extraordinary time of spiritual awakening. Drawing from the transfiguration story in the Gospels and the teachings of Charles Fillmore, Rev. Kristin illuminates the scientific and spiritual truth that our bodies are literally made of stardust and light. She invites us to stop diminishing ourselves through criticism and instead treat our bodies as sacred temples, practicing habitual uplift of life and thought as we participate in humanity's collective evolution.
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2024-07-07
July 7, 2024 – “Juneteenth or July 4th: Steps Toward Freedom”
Guest Speaker: Dr. Cindy Acker
Dr. Cindy Acker delivers a powerful and thought-provoking message examining the true meaning of freedom through the lens of Juneteenth and July 4th, revealing the historical complexities often omitted from our understanding of emancipation. Drawing on Frederick Douglass's words, the details of General Granger's order in Galveston, and her own family's experience with racial profiling, Dr. Acker challenges the assumption that freedom was achieved on any single date. She reminds us that no one is truly free until we are all free, and that the ongoing struggle for liberation requires knowledge, allyship, and courage from every one of us.
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2024-06-30
June 30, 2024 – "How To Manifest"
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2024-06-23
June 23, 2024 – "Why Diversity Matters"
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2024-06-22
June 23, 2024 – "Why Diversity Matters"
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2024-06-16
June 16, 2024 – “Fatherly Care”
Rev. Kristin Powell
Rev. Kristin delivers a heartfelt Father's Day message that goes beyond traditional notions of fatherhood to explore the deeper spiritual meanings of being a provider and protector. Drawing from a childhood memory of her father investigating imaginary monsters in the basement, she illustrates how true protection offers emotional anchoring and peace - qualities we can access through our own divine connection. Rev. Kristin encourages the community to begin relationships with trust, cultivate large ideas of prosperity as Charles Fillmore taught, and recognize that we each hold the power to contribute, protect, and provide for one another through spiritual strength and sacred masculine energy.
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2024-06-09
June 9, 2024 – “Getting to Know Your Spiritual Self”
Rev. David McArthur
Rev. David MacArthur explores the nature of our spiritual selves and how we can access this dimension of our being that exists beyond physical measurement. Drawing on fascinating research from HeartMath - where the heart responded to emotional stimuli nearly five seconds before they occurred - along with teachings from Krishna, Jesus, and Unity teacher Dr. Emily Cady, he reveals that our spiritual connection flows through the heart. Rev. David MacArthur invites us into the transformative practice of choosing care, demonstrating how this simple yet powerful heart-feeling deepens our spiritual connection and brings healing energy into every encounter and relationship.
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2024-06-02
June 2, 2024 – “Rainbow Sightings and Pots of Gold”
Rev. Kristin Powell
Rev. Kristin delivers an inspiring message weaving together the symbolism of rainbows, the courage of authenticity, and the celebration of diversity. Drawing from her own journey of coming out and the wisdom of teachers like Brene Brown and Audre Lorde, Rev. Kristin explores how shame thrives in secrecy and judgment - and how stepping into our wholeness frees us to truly see and celebrate others. She reminds us that just as a single color cannot make a rainbow, our differences are meant to enrich rather than divide us, and that the pots of gold we seek are found in personal wholeness and collective oneness.
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2024-05-26
May 26, 2024 – “Death is a Doorway”
Rev. Kristin Powell
Rev. Kristin offers a powerful and uplifting exploration of death - not as a finality, but as a doorway into deeper love, spiritual growth, and abundant new life. Drawing from diverse wisdom traditions including Buddhist impermanence teachings, ancient Egyptian spirituality, indigenous death lodge ceremonies, and the demonstrations of Jesus, she invites us to face our fears of endings with courage and even humor. Rev. Kristin reminds us that every ending - whether the loss of a loved one, a relationship, or even a beloved car - carries within it the seed of rebirth and new possibility, calling us to close our eyes, let the mind expand, and step through into the fullness of who we truly are.
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2024-05-24
May 26, 2024 Death is a Doorway
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2024-05-19
May 19, 2024 – Soulful Service
Rev. Kristin Powell
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2024-05-12
May 12, 2024 – “Becoming Godmothers”
Rev. Kristin Powell
Rev. Kristin returns from sabbatical on Mother's Day to expand our understanding of motherhood into the powerful concept of becoming godmothers - spiritual nurturers who support the soul expression of children, each other, and all life. Drawing on the wisdom of King Solomon and the poetry of Chalene Harkin, Rev. Kristin invites us to restore the divine feminine energy within ourselves and our world, recognizing it not as something limited to gender but as an immense creative power available to all. She celebrates how community members embodied this godmother energy by holding space during her absence, proving that sacred presence and collective care can transform both our lives and the world.
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2024-05-05
May 5, 2024 – The Beauty of Community
Rev. Johanna van Gelder, Don Shaw, Felicia McBarton
In this heartfelt message, Johanna van Gelder, Felicia McBarton, and Don Shaw reflect on what Unity of Walnut Creek experienced during Rev. Kristen's three-month sabbatical, celebrating the depth and resilience of their spiritual community. Johanna reminds us that Unity is far more than Sunday services - it is a living tapestry woven by every person who shows up, whether casually or in deep commitment. Don uses the beautiful metaphor of a community garden that thrives even when the gardener is away, while Felicia shares her personal treasure hunt of discovering growth, healing, and collaboration among the staff. Together, they affirm that this community is healthy, vibrant, and built on mutual love and support.
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2024-04-28
April 28, 2024 – Love and Connection: Bringing Peace Into Our Relationships
Rev. Bob Hardy
Rev. Bob Hardy shares his personal journey from a rigid Catholic upbringing through the loss of his father at 17, a successful engineering career, and ultimately finding spiritual freedom in Unity - weaving humor and vulnerability throughout. Drawing on his experience as an ordained interfaith minister, artist, and engineer, Rev. Bob Hardy introduces a powerful practice called "Setting the Arena," developed by coach Maria Nemeth, which involves asking two transformative questions before any interaction to cultivate openness and connection. He invites the congregation to actively practice choosing qualities of being that produce extraordinary, delightful outcomes in every conversation and relationship.
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2024-04-21
April 21, 2024 – Preserving Things in the Good
Dr. Matthew Fox
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2024-04-14
Rev. Darlene Strickland: "Treasures of Transformation"
Rev. Darlene Strickland continues her "Treasures of Transformation" series by exploring the five keys to spiritual growth found in the parable of the hidden treasure from Matthew 13:44. Building on the first two keys - discovery and letting go - she illuminates the power of raising consciousness, stepping into divine ownership through the "I Am" presence, and ultimately living as an instrument of spirit without separation. Through inspiring stories of Myrtle Fillmore's healing journey, opera singer Enrico Caruso's triumph over fear, Rev. Mary Morrissey's personal transformation, and Michael Beckwith's teaching on gratitude and unlimited possibility, Rev. Darlene Strickland reminds us that something within each of us is actively reshaping our existence and realizing our highest potential.
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2024-04-07
April 7, 2024 – Treasures of Transformation
Rev. Darlene Strickland
Rev. Darlene Strickland opens this two-part series "Treasures of Transformation" by exploring the profound discovery that the kingdom of God is not a tiny spark hidden within us but is our very nature - woven into the fabric of our being. Drawing from the parable in Matthew 13:44, Buddhist teachings, Rumi's poetry, and a moving story from her time studying Hawaiian culture in Maui, she invites us to ask life's most important question: who do you know yourself to be? Through the inspiring example of Unity co-founder Myrtle Fillmore's healing journey, Rev. Darlene Strickland reminds us that there is something within each of us actively releasing our limitations and realizing our potential.
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2024-03-31
March 31, 2024 – The Emerging Brilliance of Now: Viewing the Easter Story Through the Mystical Lens
TJ Woodward
Rev. TJ Woodward offers a deeply personal and refreshing exploration of the Easter story through a mystical lens, inviting listeners to see it not as a distant religious narrative but as a profound remembrance of our true nature. Drawing from his own journey of growing up in Indiana and spending years trying to change his thinking, Rev. TJ Woodward shares how the resurrection is really about uncovering the wholeness we were born with - not achieving something new. He encourages us to move beyond core false beliefs, spend time in the "tomb" of stillness, and remember that we each came into this world as a spark of divinity that has never left us.
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2024-03-29
March 31, 2024 – The Emerging Brilliance of Now: Viewing the Easter Story Through the Mystical Lens
