Matthew Reese
EDITOR’S NOTE: A church community is created when people gather together for the love of God. At the same time, Saint Philip’s is comprised of many people who represent different ages, life experiences, and world views.
The “In conversation…” series is one attempt to create possibilities for connection between the different people in our community. As varied as we all are, there are also similarities and mutual interests waiting to be discovered. And there is one thing we all share: a desire to know God and be in relationship with him.
This week’s conversation is with Saint Philip’s new curate, Matthew Reese.
What about Saint Philip’s made you accept Fr Robert’s invitation to serve as curate?
It's so clear to me that the Holy Spirit is at work at Saint Philip's, and I think and pray that it's a place God is calling me to serve.
During my visit to the parish, I was enchanted by the community’s vibrancy, and in conversations with different parishioners, I was struck by the depth of people's faith, and their commitment to Christian witness and the work of the Church. I can't imagine a place where I'd be better suited to contribute my own gifts, or a place where I'll find more to learn.
I’m particularly excited to work under Fr Robert and Mtr Taylor and watch how they live out their ministry at Saint Philip’s.
What will your ministry areas be?
I’ll be in charge of two areas: the day-to-day liturgical life of the parish, and helping coordinate Adult Education and Formation with staff and lay leaders.
There is such a wealth and diversity of experience at Saint Philip’s—among both the laity and clergy—and I’m excited to bring different people into conversation with one another to talk about what it means to be an Anglican living out Christian witness in the 21st century.
What do you think it means?
I think that there is a desperate need for a Christian moral voice to speak out about injustice, to lift up people who are downtrodden, and to live out the Gospel message both individually and as a community. I think one of the things that Episcopalians are uniquely suited to do is to embrace a big tent of ideas and concerns, and at the same time ensure we’re following in the steps of Jesus, and working towards building up the kingdom.
What makes the Episcopal Church as you put it “uniquely suited” to incorporate different voices?
Ours is a church bound together not by confession, but by our shared life of worship. I think that allows us to hold together both rich and poor, liberal and conservative, old and young, and people of all different countries. I experienced this first-hand just recently during my senior pilgrimage to South Africa.
My fellow seminarians and I worshipped for a few days at the Anglican seminary in Makhanda (Grahamstown). The music was transformative––so spiritually alive and compelling, and yet totally distinct from anything that I grew up with in church. But the minute the singing stopped, we said the exact same prayers that we all knew by heart. In one moment, we were a bit at sea, singing in a language we didn’t know––but then, we were able to enter effortlessly into a life of prayer that is rooted in all the same language, and practice, and theology. It was a powerful experience.
Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I was. Both my parents were raised in the Episcopal Church. I briefly attended a church school where my father had been an altar boy in the 1960s.
What did you do before entering seminary?
I worked as a professional musician—primarily as a conductor. I’m a cellist, and I also came up as a chapel and cathedral singer. Since 2018, I've taught music history at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University.
What was behind your decision to become ordained?
I grew up in the Church, but––as with a lot of young people––I really questioned and struggled with my faith in my teens and twenties. But I had wonderful chaplains in college and graduate school. And I always had a choral scholarship; I was in the choir stalls more often than many church-going Christians.
I think this journey to ministry began way earlier than I realized at the time. I remember a really transformative experience singing the Easter Vigil at St. Paul's, K Street in 2014. When we got to the “Alleluias” I felt a sudden jolt––this electrifying realization of how real all of it was. And yet, I think it wasn't a realization I was ready to act on... so I fought that sense of call for about seven years. But while living out my life as a musician, I found myself circling around a vocation and getting closer and closer to it.
Why did you fight the call?
Because it’s fun to be on a podium in front of an orchestra! I also thought I would miss my life as a professional musician. I think it will be exciting over the next few decades of my ministry to find a way to keep making music as a part of my vocation.
What’s one of your fundamental values?
Hospitality to people in need. I have lived in a lot of very wealthy cities with very deep social inequities and large homeless populations. So I try to make sure that even if I don’t have food or money to share with someone experiencing homelessness, that I always stop to talk, that I never avoid another person's eyes.
That basic act grounds me in the fact that many of our spiritual disciplines are small things. Making sure we have food or water to hand out are examples of little things that keep us focused on our fellows.
What do you do to relax and have fun?
My fiancée Emma and I have taken to exploring small New England villages on Saturdays. We’ll pick a place on the map and drive there hoping that they have a nice coffee shop, a cool antique shop, or something fun to do.
One of my favorite spots is a place called Monger's Market in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It's this massive old warehouse full of antique stalls, architectural salvage, and old industrial castoffs––aisles full of Victorian wrought-iron grates and spools from industrial mills.
If I just need to relax on my lunch break, I like to watch Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert from the previous night.
What’s something you’re proud of?
I’m really proud of the ensembles that I’ve built over the years and the concerts we've put on together.
The choir I founded at the College of William & Mary during my undergraduate years is still going—15 years later. That’s exciting. And the best part is that I had pretty much nothing to do with its continued existence.
It’s gratifying to watch people take an artistic endeavor that I had a small role in starting, and take it to places I wouldn’t have expected. And even more pleasing is that those kids in today’s ensemble will surely have no idea who I am.
What’s one of your guiding principles?
I think a phrase from Paul’s letter to the Romans in Chapter 13 sums it up well: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
I love that phrase, and the way it makes me think about time and its limits. It reminds me that there are times to worry about things and times to set them aside. I can’t imagine any better armor to put on than the armor of light.
What’s something you’re grateful for?
I’m always grateful for my family and loved ones. But as I speak with you right now, I’m especially grateful for the friendships I’ve made while at seminary—and for the sincere and beautiful calls to ministry that I witness here. I’m very encouraged that there is a generation of young people entering priestly ministry that will do good things for the Gospel and the Church.
What’s one of your super powers?
I think I’m good at bringing people together––and that gives me some hope because community is at the core of Christian life.
If you couldn’t fail, what’s something you’d like to do?
I’d love to learn how to sail. I’m a passable sailor now, in that I can keep myself out of the way and out of trouble. But my stepfather is a very fine sailor and I would love to be as good. I still hope to learn one day—just probably not while in Tucson!
What have I not asked that you would like people to know?
That I’m already somewhat familiar with Tucson. Emma’s family lives here and we’ve visited regularly. I’ve always been struck by how much cultural life and natural beauty there is––everything looks dusty and dry from the plane, but then you walk around the parks and on the nature trails, and you see that the desert is actually lush and teeming with life.
Do you have a hidden talent?
I have a pretty encyclopedic memory of Monty Python sketches. I can do them from start to finish with all the voices. It is humor truly designed for 12 year old boys.
What’s a guilty pleasure?
I have no trouble eating an entire box of Trader Joe’s mini ice-cream cones—in one sitting.
Missed an interview? All previous interviews can be found on Saint Philip’s website under the “About Us” tab. Click here to visit that page.