Having been trained in architecture and raised by an artist (a Japanese brush painting by my mother, Barbara Ann Reynolds [1921–2013], graces the May 2013 cover, see below), the look of things has always been important to me, whether it is a building or a magazine cover. In an age where aesthetics is believed to be largely without standards, it is an important part of Christian witness to appreciate, cultivate, and promote aesthetic beauty along with the moral and spiritual beauty enjoined by Scripture. The beauty of what we can see is only one aspect of beauty. All beauty, of course, begins ontologically with the being of God, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth” (Ps. 50:2). The beauty of his creation and the creativity of God’s image bearers all reveal aspects of his beauty: “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty” (Ex. 28:2).

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines beauty as “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.” Paul enjoins the appreciation of beauty: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). The text of the Bible itself is a work of craftsmanship as the writer of Ecclesiastes describes his own communication of wisdom and truth: “Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth” (Eccl. 12:9–10).

Book jackets have always been enjoyable to collect. The content of a book should be reflected by the cover, the same with periodicals. There is a genre of books called “books on books.” The history of books, book collecting, typography, libraries, and even bookshelves are all part of this fascinating genre. It has been a great pleasure to bring this interest to the pages of Ordained Servant. When Danny Olinger asked me to become the editor of Ordained Servant in October 2005, he gave me an editorial blank check to redesign everything. The thought of designing the typography, layout, and covers of OS was very exciting. At the time I was a member of the Boston Athenæum, which has a large selection of periodicals available to members; I spent a day perusing the collection, many of which are about art and literature, and so very artfully done.

I thought it would be enjoyable to see the way Ordained Servant Online covers have developed over the years.

The first two covers I created were for January through May 2006 in order to give myself time to ascend the steep publication learning curve. Until 2006 there were no digital covers, only the printed quarterly covers. Beginning with the June-July issue, I produced a new cover for all ten digital issues each year. These first two covers were symbolically transitional: the first cover reflecting G. I. Williamson’s emphasis on the eldership and my continued commitment to this emphasis; the second reflecting J. Gresham Machen as a model of Christian piety and thought. The design of these covers was simple because I was just learning the necessary digital skills.

August-September and November of that year reflected an interest in church buildings, especially my photographs in New England, and in art, such as Monet’s “The Rouen Cathedral.”

Creating interesting covers has become an important task since the nature of the Internet is so visual, and now our redesigned website is intensely visual. OPC.org has thirteen content boxes (known as cards) of which twelve have photos, seven of which are photos with titles superimposed. Catching attention for the contents of periodicals is a very important means of engaging readers with the text. The covers reflect the range of content in the online monthly of Ordained Servant.

December 2006 was my first attempt to use a somewhat startling work of art. February 2007 was the first colored background, also using a work of art. I was learning new features in Photoshop. Someone once asked me if creating these covers was the best use of my time. But for me it has provided a creative outlet that I have enjoyed immensely.

August-September 2007 is the first cover with a photograph. It was not my own. The first to use my own photograph was April 2009.

The August–September 2008 issue was the first to have a photographic background, the format I eventually decided to use almost continuously since April 2009. As time went on, copyright concerns moved me to use my own photography almost exclusively, especially since August-September 2011. I realized early on that the theme of every issue could not always, or even very frequently, be reflected in the cover art. This also made it easier to use photos of my own.

The quality of the digital covers has increased as the photographic and Photoshop skills improved over the years. The resolution of the early covers was terribly small, between 24 and 150 KBs. Now I sometimes struggle to keep them under 20 MB.

The first PDF, ePub, and Mobi editions were published in April 2012.

Here are a few of my favorite covers. I hope you enjoy them. I should add that professional cover designer Chris Tobias, who designs the New Horizons covers, also designed the cover and the typography of the printed Ordained Servant. For each edition I simply provide a color choice and a photo.

Gregory E. Reynolds is pastor emeritus of Amoskeag Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Manchester, New Hampshire, and is the editor of Ordained Servant. Ordained Servant Online, February 2022.