Dear Reader,
In my first editorial I tried to set out the threefold goal of the Reformed Herald: to glorify God, edify believers, and bear witness to every reader. In my second editorial I tried to express that the main thing people take away from each issue of the magazine is encouragement. These were helpful reflections for me, as I continue to learn the ropes of editing our denominational magazine.
Now that those principles are clear, it’s possible to give some thought also to method. How do we secure an encouraging magazine that glorifies God, edifies believers, and serves as a witness?
The first item, of course, is to have something to print. Each issue requires twenty-four pages of content. On that score, I would like to thank everyone who has sent in articles. Long or short, repurposed or original, volunteered or requested, they are much appreciated.
This is the place for me to give a reminder that all of our readers are welcome to send in material for the Herald. Please send your contributions to editor@rcus.org. You’ll get a note of acknowledgement soon afterwards.
The next element is arranging the content. The wonderful work of Hannah Foster, our designer, is immensely important in laying everything out in an attractive and readable way. Many thanks to her! I would not be able to do this job without her contributions.
Part of arranging, of course, is choosing when to publish things. If you send in an article and it doesn’t appear in the very next issue, that does not mean it was overlooked. It could mean that it seemed like it would fit better in a later issue. It’s true that some articles are rejected, but in that case I will send a note so no one is left hanging.
Another consideration is consistency. There can be a lot of variation in how people capitalize and punctuate, among other matters. Mrs. Carol Hall also receives warm thanks for her diligent proofreading. She told me one time that a certain article had very few mistakes: it turned out she had made 47 orthographical corrections!
For the sake of consistency, if authors cite any translation of Scripture other than the KJV or NKJV, please identify which one. It’s a big help with verifying the accuracy of Scripture quotes if you know which translation to consult.
Finally, thanks to you, our readers and subscribers. These various efforts are very worthwhile if you are encouraged by what you read.
Rev. Ruben Zartman
Editor
“Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.”
Psalm 119:129