This is the seventh post in a series on the Saints in Protestant Spirituality. For the introduction, see here. For a look at saints in the Bible, look here. For the saints in Protestant confessions look here (Church of England) here (Lutheran) and here (Swiss Reformed). For a look at Saints in the Book of Common Prayer, see here.

So maybe you’ve been convinced. Saints’ days can be Protestant. They can be an edifying way of doing justice to Scripture’s teaching about the great cloud of witnesses that surround us, testify to us of God’s grace, inspire us with their example, and act as a touchstone for our faith.

What now? Where to start with putting a bit more of this in your life? Here are a few of my top tips.

1. Start with the red letter days. All these days celebrate figures from the New Testament – which seems the best place to start. It also makes things easier for several reasons. Firstly, you probably already know who these people are and might know a few of the passages of Scripture they feature in. They’re also the days that give you the most help. The Prayer Book has some suggested readings that you could consider using in your quiet time (or equivalent). I’d suggest starting with the readings for Holy Communion (they’re printed with the collect) as the links are often more obvious there. While you’re on that page, the collect is a ready made prayer you can use. Take a couple of minutes to reflect on the internal logic of the collect and look to see whether it has any links into the propers.
2. Don’t try to observe every black letter day! You’ll get overwhelmed – especially if you use the Common Worship calendar. I’ve written a lot in the last few days about the potential for saints’ days to be edifying, but if every other day is a saints’ day they become a distraction. Perhaps pick a handful of people that already mean something to you and, when the day comes around, take a moment to think about why you are thankful for that person and the impact they have on your life.
3. Try to find out a little bit about the person commemorated. In some ways this a bit of a counterpoint. You don’t have to observe every saint’s day to use it to learn more about some of the witnesses of the past. Even just a quick Wikipedia search when it’s someone’s day can introduce you to brothers and sisters you never knew you had and suggest possible sources of future inspiration.
4. Pick a saint who inspires you and one unlike you. Once you know a little about the figures in the calendar, why not pick a couple to find out a bit more about? Perhaps pick the one who most inspires you and one who is a bit unlike you. You’ll take pleasure in learning about the first and be challenged and stretched by the second.
5. Don’t forget saints you know! One of the reasons we have All Saints’ Day tomorrow is because we recognise that all God’s people are Saints. The ones in the calendar are just the people who are widely known enough that the whole church remembers them. You, and certainly the local congregation you belong to, have known saints who will never be commemorated in a Saints’ Day, but are precious triumphs of God’s grace, gifts to his church and examples to those who knew them. The world will probably never know the name of Wilhelm Król, my wife’s Polish Grandfather, but his courage, faithfulness, and witness through the dark years of Nazi oppression followed by Soviet communism (a darkness he did not live to see lifted) are a continual inspiration to me.
6. Give thanks, strengthen your faith, and imitate. Give some time to thinking about how the person you’re remembering shows God’s power and willingness to save. Give thanks for the ways you personally benefit from their life and ministry. Reason with yourself – use that person’s example to strengthen your own faith in the power of grace. Let them convince you of the possibility of perseverance and the beauty of holiness. Be reminded by them that faithfulness really is possible. The same Holy Spirit that made each saint saintly is at work in you too. And then resolve to copy their example, in whatever way your own calling and situation requires.
7. Tell someone else. I haven’t said too much about what the confessions say about the praise that is due to the saints. It’s appropriate that our own gratitude for the saints spills over into encouraging one another with what we’ve benefitted from. So if someone has inspired you, let us know!

Tomorrow is All Saints’ Day, which is what this has all been building up to. I’ll be back with some thoughts on the collects and readings for the day!