You know it’s a good service at church when you’re not really paying attention (because I was running around after a toddler) but you still know the main points of the service. This morning we were looking at saints. We looked at amusing examples of saints – amusing because of what they are patron saints of, but we focussed mainly on us,  being saints. 

One task we were given was to create a saint profile for ourselves. So, I was Saint Helen, my feast day was 31st May, I was the patron saint of making a fool of myself (that was meant as a positive thing, in that I don’t mind embarrassing myself to make a point) and four facts about me were that I enjoyed arguing with teenagers, I enjoyed playing music, I was brummy, and I don’t like flashing lights.

Whilst chasing the toddler around the church, I was talking to people about what they’d written, but so many I spoke to were really struggling to know what to write down. They couldn’t think of anything, or was it that they wouldn’t think of anything.

The point of the service is that we are all saints, we all have a part to play, we should be shining lights, a blessing to each other, within the church, but also a blessing to the community.

How can we a blessing, if we won’t recognise the good in ourselves. We all have gifts, why do we struggle to recognise what those are? Is it boastful to recognise our strengths? 

Today we were instructed to bless each other, to refer to each other as saints. Is this something we should be instructed to do? Or is it something we should be doing regularly?

Those regular readers amongst you know that I thrive from praise and affirmation, and that I try to give that out as well, but it is difficult, as that is not the kind of society we live in unfortunately.

When I was out running tonight my hands were bitterly cold. Whilst the rest of me was warming up, with the layers my hands were the only part of me, apart from my face, which were exposed to the bitter air. It wasn’t until the second lap of my route that my hands started to feel warm. It took a long time for the blood and heat (I’m not a biologist) to reach the extremities. As Saints we are called to shine, to reflect God, to bring God into the world. That isn’t going to happen with one quick action, a one off. That might impact someone who already has a sense of God, but to reach the extremities, those who don’t know it at all, it needs to be an ongoing action.

We need to recognise the good in ourselves, we need to use the good in ourselves, but we also need to encourage others to see the good in themselves, which they often won’t or don’t want to hear.

I just want you all know you are amazing! Don’t be afraid to know it, don’t be afraid to show it.