Aeryn Johnson Sermons

Resurrection is not reserved for someday—it starts wherever Jesus steps in with healing. A sermon on John 5:1-15, preached for First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley on May 18, 2025.

In a culture that often overlooks the value of elders, the testimonies of two “silver saints,” Simeon and Anna, reveal what it means to recognize God’s presence in our midst. Their stories remind us of the power of prayer, praise and proclamation - and reveal how we, too, can live as beacons of hope and faith. A Sermon on Luke 2:22-40, preached for First Presbyterian Church of Napa on February 2, 2025.

A sermon on Luke 1:26-28. When we’re face to face with the wild, ancient power at the core of the universe and it seems to have its own frightening plans for us, we can look to the old stories to light up the darkness and give us courage to take the next step.  Preached for Miriam's Song Church on the Second Sunday of Advent, December 8, 2024.

The new life that Nicodemus longs for can only be given by the untameable Spirit.  To experience the life of belonging Jesus teaches about, we must allow new possibilities to be birthed in us by trusting Jesus for our healing and wholeness. A sermon on John 3:1-17 preached for Miriam's Song Church on February 25, 2024.

Throughout the Bible, humankind is said to “bear the image” of God, as ancient coins bore the image of Caesar. By suggesting that we give to God the “coin” that bears God’s image, Jesus invites us to “pay” our whole selves to God. Preached for First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley on October 22, 2023.

Revelation offers us a vision of a renewed Eden, where everyone belongs, everywhere is God’s temple, and everything is being renewed - “on earth as it is in heaven.” Preached for Oak Life Church on February 5, 2023.

A conversation with the Rev. Dr. Charlene Han Powell about the intersection of work and worship, recorded in for First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley in Feburary 2023.

We have been conditioned to tell our stories in self-protecting ways that reject parts of ourselves — but in Christ, God seeks our whole selves, sees our whole selves, and selects our whole selves for intimacy and new life with the Divine. A sermon on John 4: 7-19 preached for Miriam's Song Church on February 26, 2023.

Amid the trauma of exile, Isaiah glimpsed a future where Israel would move from despair and loss to becoming a light for all people. Amid our own chaos and uncertainty, God is inviting us to dream bigger, and to join in with the new thing God is doing through Jesus as a light to the whole world. Preached for First Presbyterian Church of Newark on January 15, 2023.

Even when it seems God has abandoned us, God’s position toward us is one of unimaginable lovingkindness: God will provide for us in fullness through the very circumstances that threaten us. A sermon on Ruth 4:13-17 preached for Miriam's Song Church on December 3, 2023