Unity of Walnut Creek

2024-04-07 "Treasures of Transformation" Part 1 Rev. Darlene Strickland (Johanna meditation) 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. Treasures of Transformation

2024-03-31 The Emerging Brilliance of Now: Viewing the Easter Story Through the Mystical Lens Rev. 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.

2024-03-29 Good Friday Service - 7:00 p.m. Rev. Johanna Van Gelder

2024-03-24 The True Meaning of Palm Sunday Christopher Brown Christopher Brown explores the deeper significance of Palm Sunday as a pivotal turning point in spiritual consciousness - the moment when humanity began shifting from a paradigm of fear and obedience to one rooted in love, intimacy, and compassion. He illuminates how Jesus introduced a radically personal relationship with the Divine, using the Aramaic word "Abba" to convey closeness rather than distance. Through powerful stories - from a young girl sharing bread with her brother to the Peace Pilgrim's encounter with generous strangers - Christopher Brown reminds us that true spirituality lives not in right belief but in right action, kindness, and love with work boots on.

2024-03-17 Dare to be Great (You Already Are) Ron Salazar, LUT Ron Salazar, LUT delivers a heartfelt and humorous message reminding us that greatness is not reserved for world leaders or spiritual icons - it already lives within each of us. Drawing on Unity's teaching that God is 100% present in every person, Ron Salazar, LUT encourages us to embrace our inner critic not as an enemy but as a loving part of our wholeness, much like a security officer on a starship who simply needs to work alongside the rest of the crew. Through personal stories of sobriety, self-discovery, and pushing open doors that were never truly locked, he invites us to express our unique purpose - whether we are a rose, an oak tree, or seaweed - knowing that our greatness serves the world.

2024-03-10 Embracing Change Rev. Kevin Ross Rev. Kevin Ross delivers a heartfelt and powerful message on embracing change rather than resisting it, drawing from his personal experience of recently losing his beloved grandmother - the matriarch of his family. He shares practical spiritual pivots for navigating transitions with grace, including assessing our relationship to change, recognizing that life happens for us rather than to us, maintaining a beginner's mind as candidates for wisdom, and remembering our divine nature as a source of resilience. Rev. Kevin Ross reminds us that everything is working for our highest good and that we can choose to celebrate change rather than fear it.

2024-03-03 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 Jazsynergy Concert

2024-02-25 You Are Enough Susan Angelos (Bob Hardy meditation) 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 Memorial Service

2024-02-18 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 Pt 5: Cultivating Compassion Rev. Kristin 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. Jump Start Your Heart

2024-02-04 Pt 4: Love & Leadership Rev. Kristin & Vicky Elder 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. Jump Start Your Heart

2024-01-28 Pt 3: Grounded in Stillness Rev. Kristin 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. Jump Start Your Heart

2024-01-21 Pt 2: Creative Passion Rev. Kristin Jump Start Your Heart

2024-01-14 Pt 1: The Law of Circulation Rev. Kristin 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. Jump Start Your Heart

2024-01-07 "Your Gift for 2024" (White Stone Ceremony) Rev. Kristin 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 Burning Bowl Service Johanna van Gelder & Don Shaw 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 Christmas Eve Candlelighting Rev. Kristin 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 Living Love Rev. Kristin 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. Advent

Unity of Walnut Creek - Messages