Today is Holy Saturday, the quiet day of grief and bewildered sadness among the followers of Jesus. Having seen their teacher and leader publicly executed, they retreated in confusion and fear. But out of sight, in the realm of soul and spirit, Christ descended to the dead. This is a doctrine we don’t often consider, and perhaps for good reason: the biblical evidence for it is nowhere near the level of the resurrection. In terms of relative importance, the propitiatory crucifixion and the epoch-changing resurrection are far more important and rightly deserve all the attention we give them. But that does not mean we cannot ponder the mystery of what Jesus was doing on that Saturday.
If you haven’t read my article on Holy Saturday, I commend it to you: “He Descended to the Dead? Recovering Holy Saturday.”
In my last post, I mentioned a pending announcement. It went out on April 1st in the TGC Canada monthly newsletter, though it was not an April Fool’s joke:
If you missed the newsletter and would like to see it, let me know and I’ll forward it to you. We’re still working out some of the details, but I’m very excited to step into this role as editor of TGC Canada and do what I can to continue the good work my predecessor Wyatt Graham started as well as the whole team, small and scrappy as we are, that have worked so hard to make TGC Canada a premier outlet for quality content.
I have a passion for quality writing, raising up and developing emerging writers, speaking to current issues with irenicism and historical perspective, small-c catholicity, historic Protestantism, and of course a relentless and unapologetic gospel-centrality. It’s a genuine privilege and a dream come true to serve in this capacity.
That’s amazing, Phil! So happy for you! I always sensed you were gifted by God and destined for world-impacting ministry, and this new open door is another opportunity and challenge to which you will surely rise! ❤️