This page will give an outline of how to go about writing a reflection similar to those on this site.
Prayer
Prayer is integral to the preparation of a helpful article.
What does God want you to share? with whom? Has He placed a particular passage, event or circumstance on your mind? You need to take the time to be still and listen to Him before you can pass on His message.
Pray for those who will read your article.
Your Audience
Think about those who will read your words – try to use a conversational tone and stick to first- and second-person terms as much as possible (‘I’ and ‘you’ are more likely to engage with the reader)
Avoid circumlocutious verbosity – this is not the place for a technical manual.
Quotations
Quotations can be helpful in giving authority to your text or illustrating points that you want to make. However, don’t over-do it. A couple of Bible verses, a verse from a hymn or a short extract from some credible source can add value to your text but they should be relevant and accredited where appropriate.
Format
Articles for ‘Yours’ are intended for printing on a single side of A5 paper. This is both a target and a constraint. There are ways to stretch or shorten your text using font size and line spacing, and even changing the words you use may cause the word-wrap to have an effect on the appearance of the text. Text that does not fill the space can be supplemented with a photo or a frame; conversely, text that is too long has to be cut and, in that case, you are probably writing too much anyway!
Timing
There are two elements to timing.
The first is the date by which your text should be submitted to the publisher. In the case of articles for ‘Yours’ the due date is the Monday before the nominal date of publication (Sunday). Check the rota if you are regular contributor. Allow sufficient time to write your thoughts coherently and don’t expect to finish in one sitting. Leave time to review what you have written.
The second point to consider is the church calendar – is your article appropriate for specific dates such as Easter Sunday, Remembrance Day, etc. If you are preparing your thoughts some time in advance it is easy to overlook this.
The Punch Line
End well, preferably with a thought-provoking statement or a question that begs an answer.
Remember you are conveying God’s message and you want it to be remembered after the sermon has been forgotten!
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys