Matthew Mason continued the series on Joseph by preaching on Genesis 42:1-28, 43:1-15, 45:1-14. You may listen or download it here.

Matthew preached tonight on Genesis 37:1-28. You may listen to or download the sermon here.

Matthew Mason’s sermon, entitled ‘The Glorious Judge’ and covering Matthew 25:31-46, is available for streaming or download here. 

You may download or listen to the Rev. Matthew Mason’s sermon from November 29, 2009 here.

With joy we announce the addition of two new staff members at the Church of the Resurrection!

Our newly appointed Assistant Pastor is the Rev. Matthew Mason, currently Curate of St. John’s Church in Tunbridge Wells, England. Matthew is married to Annabel, and they have two daughters, Tabitha and Evie (left). We expect the Masons to join us in DC this fall after they have been granted appropriate visas. Please pray for the visa process, and for the Mason family as they say farewell to family and friends and move to the United States.

We also welcome to the staff as a Ministerial Fellow our very own Aaron Damiani. Aaron and his wife, Laura, together with their two sons Gus and Sammy (below), have been part of Resurrection for the past year since moving to DC from Chicago. God willing, Aaron will be ordained as a deacon this fall, and a presbyter in the spring of 2010.  Aaron begins with us officially on August 4. Please pray for the Damiani family as they make this transition.

The search for an Assistant Pastor began earlier this spring when then Assistant Pastor Mark Booker and his family were commissioned for a new work in Boston, MA, and in anticipation of Assistant Pastor Matthew Anderson’s departure overseas at the end of this summer. Through the end of May, the pastoral search committee received numerous applications from excellent candidates across the United States and in several countries. During the past six weeks, the committee focused on the top five applicants for the position. Through interviews with the clergy and parish council, two candidates rose to the top of the list: Matthew Mason and Aaron Damiani.

Matthew and Aaron are similar in many respects, inasmuch as both are godly leaders who share our vision for a vibrant, transformational Christian community in urban Washington, DC. Both also have healthy marriages and families. But they are also quite unique. Matthew brings substantial pastoral experience from his work as a presbyter in the Church of England. He is a mature theologian with a gift for proclamation, a concern for the unchurched, and an obvious international perspective. Aaron, on the other hand, has several years of experience as a college chaplain. He has an abiding passion for prayer and liturgy. He is already well-known and trusted within our community.

Two excellent candidates. Both would be welcome additions to the team and would bring new life to Resurrection. It was very difficult to choose between them. After much prayer and deliberation, we finally discerned a third option that we believe is right for our church at this time. We sense that God has called our congregation to take a leap of faith by trusting in him to provide for us financially during times of economic uncertainty. It’s a stretch, but we believe the Lord has answered our prayers for a new pastor by sending both Matthew and Aaron to us.

Please join us in giving thanks to God and welcoming both Matthew and Aaron on to the Resurrection staff. Please also remember both families in prayer during this time of transition.