At Lent Madness, we know a few things about Mondays. After all, we crank out brilliant new episodes of Monday Madness every week during the Lent Madness high season (aka Lent). During the rest of the year, 50% of the SEC (the one with Mondays off) focuses his Monday devotions on the eighth sacrament of coffee. So we Mondayologists were a bit nonplussed when internet culture tried to crash our Monday party with Cyber Monday. What to do?

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. So we at Lent Madness are pleased to announce Cyber Monday specials that can't be missed. Pull out your wallets. Then call your friends and neighbors and tell them to pull out their wallets. Today would be a good day to test out the parish phone tree or to send out a special breaking news email.

Tim's latest book, Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos, is available at a jaw-dropping and timely bargain price of just $5 from Forward Movement. The book features illustrations by Jay Sidebotham. You can even find -- hidden inside the book, like a treasure hunt -- a rare example of rapprochement among the archnemeses, in which Tim goes on record saying something nice about Scott. But buy the book for Tim's funny but spiritually helpful stories of God showing up even in Christmas chaos. It's so good, you'll be tempted to junk your usual same-old, same-old reading from St. Luke on Christmas Eve and use this instead. (We don't think you should do that, but that's how good this book is.)

Carrying over from Purple Friday, today is the last day to stock up on Lent Madness 2014 Bracket Posters. This is your last chance to buy these things for only $6. At that price, you can buy one for every parish in your deanery, one for everyone in your child's third grade class, and one for everyone in your Tuesday night poker game. Or whatever. The point is that you should buy at least a dozen at this bargain price. They're giant brackets printed on vellum and/or high-quality paper, shipped folded but miraculously unfolding into a spectacular 24" by 36" poster. Then go wallpaper your foyer.

There are more Cyber Monday specials from Forward Movement. Take note of FREE SHIPPING if you use code CYBER13 on your order. This is good on all Forward Movement products including Lent Madness mugs. Instructions for doing that are in the magical email flyer for Cyber Monday. This offer is good until 3:00 am EST (midnight in California) so place your order TODAY.

So, TGIM! and we're glad to bring Lent Madness into this Advent season of hope and expectation. And brackets.

Despite our belief that Lent Madness mugs will be the salvation of the church, The Supreme Executive Committee deplores crass commercialization. We're especially opposed to the non-Lenten buying frenzy of the day after Thanksgiving. We believe that all post-Thanksgiving shopping should support the spread of Lent to every aspect of our church and secular life. In this spirit, since we know many of you are determined to open your wallets this weekend anyway, we hope you will opt to take part in Purple Friday, the famous day when people do their early Lent shopping. Watch this video to see Tim and Scott report on this year's Purple Friday:

As you'll see, they reveal this year's Purple Friday Doorbuster Special, so called because people are breaking down the doors of our website snagging big bargains. Hurry up! Time is short! The end is near!

You can buy the Lent Madness 2014 Bracket Poster, featuring the complete listing of every saint in the bracket and a bonus QR code so random people in your parish hall can pull out their phones and go right to the Lent Madness website without exhausting their thumbs typing in the web address www.lentmadness.org. Buy one for your church, one for home, one for your car, and several for your neighbors. They make excellent stocking stuffers for all your favorite Lent Madness fans.

This weekend only, buy Lent Madness 2014 Bracket Posters for only $6. That's a 40% savings off the full retail price. At that discount, you can buy one for everyone on your Christmas, Advent, and Lent shopping lists.

When you spend money on Purple Friday, you are not only getting an excellent price, you are supporting the ministry of Forward Movement and the spread of Lent Madness. Speaking of spending money, Forward Movement is running a fantastic sale on Cyber Monday, so visit their website on Monday to snag great bargains, including an unbeatable price on Tim's book, Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos. For now, buy plenty of Lent Madness 2014 Bracket Posters and make this the best Purple Friday ever.

The Supreme Executive Committee was poring over the Supreme Pontiff's latest missive, Evangelii Gaudium. We Supremes like to keep an eye on what the others are doing. For example, we are considering adopting purple robes along the lines of those worn by the Supreme Court.

Pope Francis wears his Lent Madness fan chasuble.

Anyway, our eyes perked right up when we realized that Pope Francis had endorsed Lent Madness. From paragraph 6, "There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter." He goes on to say, "I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved."

So even amidst Lent, we are to experience joy. That is surely a solid, if tacit, endorsement of Lent Madness. We could not agree more, because that's exactly why the SEC promotes levity alongside penitence. Life is too short to deny joy, even for a moment, let alone forty days and forty nights.

We're glad to accept the Pope's endorsement, and the SEC would be happy to concelebrate a festive mass at St. Peter's on any day of the Holy Father's choosing during Lent 2014. While we're in Rome (we'll be happy to stay in the Apostolic Apartments, since we hear they're vacant), we'll console Pope Francis on his namesake's loss in the Faithful Four of Lent Madness 2010.

Keep doing a good job, Your Holiness, and you might make it into the bracket one day in the life to come -- or perhaps, in this life, onto the SEC as an Honorary Supreme. But probably not.

If you've spent any time on Facebook or Twitter this month, your feed is clogged with cat photos, political outrage, and one more thing that's equally insidious. #30daysofgratitude is all the rage. People say what they're grateful for. Ad nauseum.

The SEC is pro-Thanksgiving. That's why we're going to eat a big feast on Thanksgiving Day. More important, it's why we celebrate the Eucharist, with its Great Thanksgiving, every Sunday. But a whole month of unicorns and puppies is a bit much. So we've decided to offer a counterpoint. #Lentitude.

Today is One Day of #Lentitude. Here's our invitation. Go with Jesus into the wilderness. It's no party. It's full of things to make a person grumpy: weeds, sand, heat, scorpions, and a lack of espresso bars. Today only, we invite you -- all day long -- to share the things that make you grumpy or that annoy you. Give something up! Do Lent stuff today!

Here's a suggestion list. Naturally, it's a list of Ten Ways to Do #Lentitude.

10. Give something up for a day.
9. Say the Stations of the Cross at church or at your local coffee place.
8. "Reconcile" with someone by telling them the ways in which they annoy you.
7. Wear purple.
6. Wander in the wilderness for 40 minutes (hey, you only have one day).
5. Call your local radio station and ask them to play the Lent Madness Theme Song instead of the Christmas music they probably have on.
4. Eat twigs. With garlic.
3. Every time someone says, "How are you?" tell them about every problem you have, have ever had, or might ever have.
2. Email everyone in your address book your favorite Lent hymn texts. Send several in separate messages.
1. Post #Lentitude at least 40 times on your social media. That means 40 different ways in which you suffer. In so doing, all your friends will suffer too. #Lentitude is the gift that keeps on giving.

Enjoy #Lentitude! But not too much, because enjoyment is for Easter and sparkle ponies only.

In this month's video, the Supreme Executive Committee shares one of the ways they plan to take over Advent. Hint: it involves Tim's new book. Also, they share their plan for One Day of #Lentitude to counteract #30daysofgratitude sweeping social media. Make your plans to celebrate tomorrow, November 14.

For more videos, tune into the Lent Madness Channel on Vimeo.

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As everyone knows, the Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness has a virtual monopoly on all things Lent. It's gotten to the point where our legal team is exploring the possibility of copyrighting the color purple.

So what are Tim and Scott doing meddling in the Season of Advent? Good question. But Forward Movement has just published Tim's Advent/Christmas devotional book titled "Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos." Illustrated by popular priest/cartoonist Jay Sidebotham, the book is a series of humorous and insightful essays on ways to keep spiritually centered amid the craziness of what Tim likes to call the "Christmas-Industrial Complex."

Here's the blurb from the back cover:

Christmas card trauma. Over-the-top decorations. Post-Christmas blues.
With laugh-out-loud humor anchored by spiritual truths, author Tim Schenck helps us maintain our spiritual sanity through the often frenetic chaos of Advent and Christmas. Illustrated by popular cartoonist Jay Sidebotham, Dog in the Manger also explores the major characters of the season in new ways, including John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, and of course, Jesus. Thoughtful questions following each section make Dog in the Manger ideal for personal reflection, seasonal book groups, or a last-minute Christmas gift.

The book has reflection questions following each section so it's perfect for either individual or group reflection. (Note to parish clergy: that Advent series you've been meaning to put together but haven't got around to yet? Here's your salvation).

The powers-that-be have subjected Tim to the same questions posed to our authors during September's Back to Lent Month. He was less than cooperative.

Why this book? 

Why not? Oh, you want an actual answer.

I get tired of seeing people so frazzled in the weeks leading up to Christmas that it seemingly sucks all the joy out of their lives. Surely the Nativity of our Lord transcends the practiced art of re-gifting and fake greenery. I'm also passionate about popping the perfection myth. As I write in the introduction:

Our faith is a gift, but it isn’t a perfectly wrapped present with exact folds and a precisely tied bow. Fortunately faith isn’t about being neat and tidy. You may burn the Christmas roast, Santa may not bring your child exactly what she wanted, you might even get sick and miss out on the best party of the year. But through it all, God remains.

Many of these essays bring readers into the chaos of my own family life -- you can shatter the notion of the perfect clergy family -- as we struggle to remain spiritually centered amid the frenzy of the holidays. Hopefully this book will make you smile, nod your head in recognition, and help you keep life around the holidays in perspective.

How does this book relate to Lent Madness?

Since I created Lent Madness everything I do relates to Lent Madness. Even eating nachos. Next question?

Oh, fine. The same playfulness and holy irreverence that you'll find in Lent Madness pervades this book. It all gets back to the notion of taking our faith but not ourselves too seriously.

Plus Scott Gunn and the Forward Movement team published it. Or as he recently put it, he "let one slip through the cracks."

Why should the Lent Madness faithful buy your book?

So I can retire to a grotto in Southern Italy. Actually since many people know Jay's cartoons, I'm really hoping people will buy it thinking it's one of his famous calendars. Surprise!

Also, there's no accompanying mug so you get off easy.

To order your copy (and copies for everyone you've ever met), click here. If you don't trust Tim and Scott and you want to first read a sample before shelling out your hard earned money, click here. It's also available on Kindle and Nook and iTunes. (Tim likes to sign copies of e-readers with black Sharpies).

The Supreme Executive Committee wishes to extend a Happy All Saints' Day greeting to you and yours. Of course, for people in the know, this day is really The Feast of Golden Halo Winners and Their Companions. We managed to get some video of George Herbert, C. S. Lewis, Mary Magdalene, and Frances Perkins enjoying a dance. Winners of the Golden Halo in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, they are partying while they wait to welcome the next lucky saint into the super-elect company of Lent Madness champions.

This is a good time to suggest that you should probably spend the rest of November and all of Advent working on your brackets. To get you in the mood, enjoy more videos on the Lent Madness channel over at Vimeo. You might also enjoy some videos from A Nun's Life, which inspired the SEC to get this scene on film.

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Back-to-Lent Month continues with a recent book published by Meredith Gould, a member of the esteemed Celebrity Blogger Alumni Association. And, yes, the Supreme Executive Committee has the power to extend Back-to-Lent Month as long as it wants. As you might have guessed, we rule by whim and the Holy Spirit.

About The Social Media Gospel
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and a growing number of other social media tools can help you build church community, deepen faith, and extend reach in previously unimaginable ways. The Social Media Gospel is an easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide by church communications professional Meredith Gould, who goes beyond "how to" and explains "why to" engage in digital ministry. Each chapter includes “Thought Bytes” for individual and group discussion. Appendices provide practical information about developing a strategic plan for communications, creating social media guidelines, and performing a communications audit.

Why this book?
Back in 2008, I published The Word Made Fresh: Communicating Church and Faith Today to make a case for church communications being a key ministry. I promptly started kicking myself in the butt for not including social media, which was just beginning to be noticed by church folk. Within months, I was thanking God for gracing me with the good sense to use social media for a variety of church communication challenges before writing about it.

Working “in the trenches” helped me realize the extent to which people really do not know how to think strategically about church communications in general and social media in particular. Realizing that led me to focusing on helping people understand why these tools are valuable, when to use them, and how to integrate them into a coordinated plan for communicating with internal and external audiences.

How does this book relate to Lent Madness?
Lent Madness exemplifies how to use social media to generate conversation and community by offering content that informs, educates, and inspires. It’s anchored in a blog and uses other platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) in ways that highlight the best strategic use of those tools. Almost everything I write about in The Social Media Gospel can be illustrated by an aspect of Lent Madness.

Why should the Lent Madness faithful buy your book?
A trinity of reasons: 1) It’s a great book – everyone says! 2) While Lent Madness faithful are obviously savvy about social media, they probably know lots of people (e.g., church leadership) who aren’t. 3) I wrote all the posts about St. Mary Magdalene, winner of the Golden Halo in 2012, something I’ll never let anyone forget. Ever.

Back to Lent Month continues with a recently released book, Blood Entangled, from new Celebrity Blogger Amber Belldene. This just proves that we don't discriminate against vampires here at Lent Madness. Or romance novels (take your pick on which member of the Supreme Executive Committee most closely resembles Fabio).

From Amber:

Yes! I have a new book out. It's the second book in my Blood Vine Series, which is racy vampire romance. I know, I know, not exactly what you would expect your friendly Episcopal priest to read or write in her spare time. But the truth is, like many, many women and some men, I am a huge fan of the romance genre and have been since high school. As a member of the romance writing community, I am in awe of the brilliant and passionate women I have come to know. If you haven't taken a look at a romance since the 1980s, you might be surprised by the diversity and sophistication of the genre these days.

That said, I know my book won't be for everyone -- it's got explicit sex, a beautiful winery setting, a lot of absurd humor, and vampires. It also explores deep theological themes like homeland and exile, purity, power, and belonging through the story of two warring tribes (Hunters and vampires) and their journey through their history of violence toward reconciliation.

Back Cover Blurb
Kos Maras’s orderly life is in shambles — he must distribute Blood Vine to a population of ailing vampires, but Hunters block him at every turn. To make matters worse, each night he watches over a temptingly beautiful woman sleeping in his bed. He is convinced love cannot last a vampire-long lifetime and an entanglement will only cause them grief, but he doesn’t have the heart to send her away.

From a long line of blood servants, Lena Isaakson is destined to serve a vampire, but a string of humiliating rejections thwarts her pleasure. When Kos shows her kindness, she hopes he will claim her. Instead he proves himself a coward in the face of love and sends her to serve another.

Will the dark seduction of a rakish new vampire finally bring Lena the pleasure she desires or deliver her into the hands of Hunters who want to destroy everything the Maras family has worked for?

Why vampires? Being a priest has given me a love for the language we use to talk about spiritual mysteries (which is a must for a paranormal author) and it’s been so fun to exercise my creativity to describe the mystical world of my vampires. Writing about fantastical worlds turns out, paradoxically, to be an excellent way to explore human truths, because of how we can exaggerate the reality.

Why racy romance? I am very passionate about the relationship between sex and spirituality. To me, sexuality is a gift from God and one of the most delightful ways we experience love — both divine and human. For so long, we have relegated sexuality to the realm of the secret and shameful. I’m all for privacy (it’s one of the reasons I have a pen name) but that’s not the same as secretive. As a priest who writes romance, I hope I can spur more comfortable conversations and openness about human sexuality in people’s lives and in the church.

My characters are just regular folks (and ordinary vampires) who are struggling with vocation, duty, and their own pasts. During Lent Madness we read the stories of holy lives so that we might better understand our spiritual journey. For me, all fiction serves this purpose — any character’s story is an opportunity for us to look at our commitments and motivations, and in the case of romance, a reminder to stay in touch with the passion in our lives. Blood Entangled surprised me by becoming the story of an extraordinary sacrifice, and I’m certain I couldn’t have written it without the Christian story in mind.

Why should Lent Madness followers buy this book?
Well, I’m not sure they should -- only if it piques their interest! And I do recommend starting with the first book, Blood Vine, which is only $0.99 for Kindle right now.

If you don’t buy one of my books, I’d love the LM followers to take a moment to learn a little about the romance genre. Romantic and sexual love is one of the Christian tradition's most potent metaphors for God’s love and I am convinced a great romance can nourish our spirit and our own romantic relationships. If you would prefer to read a great historical romance, or a witty contemporary, or steampunk, or angels, or anything — feel free to get in touch with me online and I’ll recommend some of my favorites!