We began this Lent Madness journey over five weeks ago on "Ash Thursday." We started with 32 saints and have now whittled the field down to two: Mary Magdalene and Emma of Hawaii (who staged a wild comeback against Dietrich Bonhoeffer yesterday).
Along the way we've met some truly remarkable holy women and men. Perhaps you learned about some folks you'd never heard of or maybe you renewed acquaintances with saints who have long offered inspiration. Of course the entire notion of placing saints in a bracket is absurd -- each "contestant" has already earned a crown of righteousness in addition to a "golden halo." But at the heart of Lent Madness is the abiding conviction that Lent need not be gloomy or depressing. After all, what could be more joyful than a season specifically devoted to being drawn into deeper relationship with the risen Christ?
In the process of this whimsical Lenten devotion we have made some new online friends, encountered a community of believers who take their faith but not themselves too seriously, learned some things, were inspired by saintly witnesses, and had a lot fun along the way.
We literally couldn't have done this without our "Celebrity Bloggers" to whom we offer sincere gratitude. Dr. Meredith Gould, the Rev. Penny Nash, the Rev. Bosco Peters, Canon Heidi Shott, the Rev. (Bracket Czar) Adam Thomas, the Rev. Laura Toepfer, the Rev. Neil Alan Willard, and the Rev. Chris Yaw -- you guys rock!
Finally, thanks to all who have participated in this devotional journey. We've loved having each one of you along for the "madness" and on behalf of the Supreme Executive Committee we wish you a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter.
Oh, wait, there's one more thing before we set our face toward the Triduum. Cast your vote for either Mary Magdalen or Emma of Hawaii -- the 2012 Golden Halo hangs in the balance! The polls will be open for 24 hours and the winner will be announced at 8:00 am Eastern time on Maundy Thursday.
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!"
John 20:18
Mary Magdalene: Giovanni Savoldo, c.1535-1540
Excerpts from a lament by the Pacific Commercial Advertiser upon Queen Emma’s death in 1885.
Auwe! Auwe! The bitter wail resounds,
From far Kauai to bold Hawaii’s shore;
The people’s grief and sorry know no bounds,
For their loved Ema-lani is no more.
---Auwe! Auwe! The mourning nation cries;
Auwe! Auwe! She does not heed its grief;
Auwe! No more she wipes the weeping eyes,
No more she gives the sick and poor relief.
The King and lowliest native equal share
The common grief, for each has lost a friend,
And closer draws the bond of sympathy -
The throne and hut unite their tears to blend.
And not alone Hawaiians grieving cry,
The Haoles join in universal moan;
America extends her sympathy,
And England’s Queen will mourn a sister gone..
Kaleleonalani is not dead!
She sleeps on earth, but wakes in Paradise;
Rejoince we then and lift the drooping head,
She is but veiled from our mortal eyes.
And so we leave her sleeping sweet in God.
Vote!
NOTE: At 4:13 p.m. EDT, the Supreme Executive Committee removed 120 votes for Emma, based on heavy repeating voting from a single location. We are glad you are enthused about your saints, but please vote only once!
[poll id="35"]
146 comments on “For the Golden Halo: Mary Magdalene vs. Emma of Hawaii”
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[...] Some beautiful images of Mary here at Meredith Gould’s pinterest board). So… go vote for Mary M. Or Emma, if the spirit moves you (like it is apparently moving the entire Diocese of [...]
LETS GO MARY LETS GO! Yes Emma is very important but c'mon Mary Magdalene actually SAW an angel. Yes believing is better than seeing but this is too far. Mary will win. She is OBVIOUSLY the one who deserves the GOLDEN HALO!!!
Mary! Mary! Mary!!!! LET'S GO MARY LETS GO!!!
Yes, it is still Lent, but ALELULLIA! for All the Saints, anyway, all the time !
John 20, but especially vs. 13 & 15 "Woman, why are you weeping?"
I love that 2 uppity women are the finalists. They are both very deep in my heart, and both are winners! Thank you for this experience - I love lentmadness and can't wait for next year. (I just downloaded the book to my Kindle)
Leilani...there's actually a BOOK? pleaase advise where I can acquire said book(I'm one of those maniacs who actually believe you can't have too many books.you should see my collection.).
thanks and blessed easter,
Madeleine
I must walk away! I keep hitting "Refresh" to see how the voting is going.
People say, "DUUUH she followed Jesus because she met him in person".
But it must have been so much more difficult to follow a Jesus who was actually there. They/We couldn't impose our own ideology on a Jesus who could turn around and say, "Get behind me Satan".
They/We couldn't say, "You have to understand him THIS way because if you try to follow His actual words it'll be way too difficult", because He could turn around and say exactly what he meant.
The day after the feeding of the five thousand Jesus seems to have been back to feeding twelve (plus women?) again.
Following the real, genuine, living, breathing, preaching Jesus was difficult as!
Mary Magdalene followed Him all the way.
Maybe someone ought to start a fundraiser by taking wagers on what tine Emma will overtake MM. I couldn't sleep last (started reading a Bonhoeffer bio) ... At 3 am eastern it seemed to me he was still leading.
I am gladly voting for Mary Magdalene while admiring Emma. Not sure what good that will do. Have you all noticed that when Emma is on the ballot another 1,000 voters show up at the polls?
Thanks to the SEC and the celebrity bloggers! It has been a wonderful experience!
Mary Mag has been my choice and my hope right from the start--the rest were wonderfully interesting (thanks, Scott, Tim, Penny, Neil, and all the rest of the CBs), but she's the First Apostle, long ignored! I'd have been a little more conflicted if one of the Celts had made it past the Saintly Sixteen and on into the finals, but this was really no contest as MM progressed down the bracket.
What fun this has all been! I've never spent so much time in front of my computer with such delight and benefit. Thanks again to all concerned (which includes all those who posted comments)--looking forward to next Lent already!
Thank you Lent Madness for making this Lenten season so enjoyable! No matter who earns this Golden Halo, you have shared the legacy of our beloved Queen Emma, who did so much for the people of Hawai'i. I certainly learned a lot about the other Saints in a most entertaining manner! Looking forward to next year!
My vote for the Golden Halo goes to Emma of Hawaii. She really is the Cinderella in LentMadness! Anyone who can go up against Catherine of Siena, the Apostle Paul, Thomas Cranmer, and finally Dietrich Bonhoeffer and win all the way, deserves my vote and many more! One may even argue, Mary Magdalene had a weaker field (seeds) on her way to the Golden Halo round. You made a believer out of me Your Majesty! And thanks, LentMadness for introducing us to all these wonderful saints during Lent! It has been fun!
May all now have a powerful witness to the God of Love this Paschal Triduum (last three days of Jesus' life).
Your efforts made me smile,laugh aloud,learn,contemplate,appreciate all the time spent by you two,admire the lives of the saints,and rejoice Despite all the distractions of this time of year (like Baylor beating Notre Dame for Womens NCAA----which,come to think of it,is another battle of the saints).May I wish you a bkessed Holy Week?
For me it's a no brainer, the Apostle to the Apostles gets my vote. Without her, we might not know anything about the resurrection, because the guys were not talking. They were hiding.
I voted Mary Magdalen and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (who is probably my favorite "saint") all the way and would never have believed that Queen Emma could have made it to the Championship. But my vote has changed and despite the obvious fact that Mary Magdalen experienced the VERY FIRST Easter - her own personal first Easter according to John - I am going with Queen Emma. And here's why, it is clear that there is a faithful Church community that owes its existence to her and her husband. As this is an Episcopal event, I am not opposed to giving Emma the nod as the great "Episcopal/Anglican" saint of the tournament. It is clear that her witness lives on into this day in a very tangible way - although I know that the whole body of believers might be credited to Mary on some level : - ) Still, it is the much-maligned Pacific Bump which has convinced me that the "arc of history bends toward" Emma! Go Queen Emma-lani!
And thank you, everyone involved, for an AMAZING Lenten practice!
In solidarity with my lifetime home of Hawaii, I must vote Emma. Thank you to all who put this wonderful project together. It has revolutionized my Lent!
Ohhh, such a decision! However, living in Hawaii I have to vote for Queen Emma!
Come on, guys, I love Emma, too - but please keep the voting fair! It just makes me want to vote for the wrong reasons!
This one is really, really hard.
While I'm still thinking and praying on this one, let me make a few comments about this whole process.
Thanks so much, Tim, Scott, and the celebri
While I'm still thinking and praying on this one, let me make a few comments about the whole process of Lenten Madness.
Thanks so much, Tim and Scott as well as all the celebrity bloggers, who created an original fun and educational Lenten “discipline,” however undisciplined it may have seemed at times.
And particular thanks to the hundreds of people who left comments. I have read them all and with exceptions that could be counted on one hand, they have been uniformly thoughtful, witty, spiritual, educational, fun, and (dare I say it?) Christian in the very best sense of the word. It has been a notable contrasts to many church blogs, many of which are filled with hateful, snarky, mean, and nasty comments.
While I'm still thinking and praying on this one, let me make a few comments about this whole process.
Thanks so much, Tim and Scott as well as all the celebrity bloggers, who created an original fun and educational Lenten “discipline,” however undisciplined it may have seemed at times.
And particular thanks to the hundreds of people who left comments. I have read them all and with exceptions that could be counted on one hand, they have been uniformly thoughtful, witty, spiritual, educational, fun, and (dare I say it?) Christian in the very best sense of the word. It has been a notable contrast to many church blogs, many of which are filled with hateful, snarky, mean, and nasty comments. Thanks for making this an exemplar of The Episcopal Church at its best -- the ability to disagree, even passionately, in a loving and humerous kind of way.
Major, major Lenten Madness Withdrawal after Easter!
The Lenten Madness obviously infected my computer. Don't know what caused the dupblication. Sorry about that.
It's a delight to see Queen Emma and her excellent work becoming known and perhaps respected. This queen who knocked on doors, hat in hand, to collect money to start the first hospital, which the legislature had approved but could not fund. This queen who brought our church to the shores of Hawai`i nei, together with King Kamehameha IV, and when we died at a tender age named it after him by naming it after St. Andrew. A humble woman, she's probably laughing in heaven at this....advocacy. So: yes, Emma. 1 vote (only)
he died -- when he died....
And here comes Emma, staging her usual comeback.....
😉
(I confess, I won't be unhappy at all if she takes the Halo; I voted for MM but am secretly rooting for Ema-lani at this point!)
ditto.
When I became involved with Lent Madness it was because the parish is using it as a fundraiser and not because I had any real interest in it. We all entered a bracket, put up some money and the winner will designate an Episcopal charity to give the money to. However through the process my feelings changed.
I am a retired police officer who left with a line of duty injury after 27 years of service. Prior to that I was a Methodist minister, yes there are a few seminary trained cops out there. I approached Lent Madness using the same tactics that I know so well. I investigated all of the saints, using multiple sources, and attempted to draw for myself a picture of their life. I discovered that generally speaking most of the saints generally lived saintly lives. I also discovered that generally speaking most at times were decidedly unsaintly although all in all good folks trying to follow God's way. I also realize that probably describes most all of us. That is a humbling thought and a reminder that I still have a lot of work to do with my own life.
I have posted frequently and I know that at times I have offended some of you, that was never my intent. I am either blessed or cursed with a dry sense of humor that can easily be misunderstood. I have read most all of the posts and have found them to be funny, informative and rarely mean spirited.
I have been an Episcopalian since 1998 and can best be described as ambivalent toward the denomination. It has been my experience that limiting your activities to regular worship services works out fine but the deeper my involvement the greater my disappointment. Lent Madness has been an exception as I have learned and enjoyed throughout this experience.
Thank you Scott and Tim and to the whole Lent Madness family for this opportunity. My prayer for all of you is to have a joyos and blessed Easter season.
Jim - a great summary of the Lent Madness experience!
Smiling at the idea of saints as subjects of forensic investigation.
A blessed holy week and joyous Easter to you, too!
Best Lent ever! Dare I say I'm actually looking forward to next Lent?
Though Mary Magdalene is perhaps my own favorite saint, for the reasons others have stated so well and because, growing up as little gay boy in a Pentecostal church, the witness and experience of Mary Magdalene helped me see that God loves everyone, still, I voted for Emma. I knew of her before Lent Madness, but I learned much more about her here. She inspired me this Lent in a way I needed. So, another time, it would have been the Magdalene, but today it's Emma.
I'd really like to thank all those involved in Lent Madness, including everyone who took the time to post comments. I read the comments every day and enjoyed them--and learned from them!
Amen!
The flood of conversation reminds me that as BIG as this world and all its problems are, we are truly the Body of Christ. I see the names of folks I grew up with alongside utter strangers. Strangers? But you speak my heart and fill my soul. One. Ohana. The Body in all its diversity, passion and joy. I love it. And when the Golden Halo is announced I will be simultaneously full of joy and sorrow. How can only one of these precious women win?
Frankly, I think the Golden Halo should be shared!
So glad to get to vote one more time for Mary Magdalen, this time for the Golden Halo.
What a grand trip this has been! Thank you Tim and Scott, Celebrity Bloggers, and everyone who voted and chatted and lobbied and shared your reasons for voting, whether personal, scholarly, or spiritual. I've enjoyed learning more about saints of the early and medieval church, and about Anglican saints I'd never heard of. Thanks for letting this Catholic play along!
Blessed Triduum, everyone!
I vote for a tie!
I wrote this song a few weeks ago; it certainly reflects my feelings right now.
To the tune of We’re Marching to Zion
I’d love to learn about saints
And do something new for Lent,
Lent Madness sounds like lots of fun
I’ll learn a lot and have some fun
I’ll click on this link here
I’ll click lentmadness.com.
I love this Lent Madness!
Beautiful beautiful madness,
I love to love Lent Madness
I can’t stop checking the score.
Oh yes, my saint is winning
My bracket is intact;
Wait now the other’s got a lead,
Don’t make me leave a comment, please
Stop voting more than once,
Stop voting more than once!
It’s awesome, Lent Madness.
Beautiful – okay, it’s Madness!
Oh wait – I voted too early,
And now I’m praying so hard.
How could you vote for that saint?
You know he’s the underdog,
You think you’ll get to vote again
For Thomas – yeah, well, think again
And pray for Mary M, oh pray for Mary M!
We’re drowning in Madness!
Sinking in maddening Lent Madness.
You’ve totally wrecked my bracket
You insane people of God.
And when I say "insane," of course I mean insane with love of Jesus and the Saints! Thanks for an awesome Lent Madness!
PS - I have also loved the art. THANK you.