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Rev. Johanna van Gelder

5 messages

• 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.
• 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.
• 2024-03-03 March 3, 2024 – 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.
• 2023-10-22 October 22, 2023 – Joy and Grace in the Body Rev. Johanna van Gelder Johanna Van Gelder explores the sacred wisdom of the body through the powerful story of Matthew Sanford, a paralyzed yoga practitioner who discovered that our bodies store what our minds cannot process, and she invites us to reconnect with our physical selves as divine expressions. Drawing on teachings from mindfulness meditation, trauma research, and her own experience with illness, Johanna Van Gelder reminds us that bringing awareness, breath, and compassion to our bodies allows energy to flow freely and healing to unfold. She emphasizes that inhabiting our bodies with love not only restores our personal wholeness but ripples outward, deepening our compassion and connection to the world around us.
• 2023-03-19 March 19, 2023 – Blessing Brings Joy Guest Speaker: Johanna Van Gelder Guest Johanna Van Gelder offers a heartfelt exploration of blessing as a transformative spiritual practice, using the parable of the prodigal son to illustrate how we all journey away from and back toward our divine nature. Drawing from her own life experiences - from rejecting God as a teenager to exhausting herself with affirmations alone - she shares how surrendering and reconnecting with the divine presence brought her home to herself. Guest Johanna Van Gelder demonstrates how blessing ourselves, others, and even our surroundings dissolves separation, releases self-judgment, and restores the joy that flows naturally when we recognize the divine in all things.