The Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness has unearthed a heretofore undiscovered Bonhoeffer text on the viscitudes of cheap and costly grace in the context of Lent Madness. We share it with you, without comment, as we believe the text speaks for itself.
Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of Lent Madness. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like wares from the Lentorium. The Saintly Scorecard, the bracket posters, the write-ups of fabulous Celebrity Bloggers are thrown away at cut prices -- like Frances Perkins mugs at 50% off. Oh wait...
Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching on topics other than saints, writing our own name in the bracket, voting without reading the comments, not seeing the humor in Lent Madness...Cheap grace is grace without Wi-Fi, grace without the Golden Halo, grace without an updated bracket.
Costly grace is the saintly kitsch hidden in the field; for the sake of it, a person will gladly go and sell all that he or she has. It is the Lent Madness bracket of great price for which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of the Supreme Executive Committee, for whose sake a voter will pluck out the internet connection which causes the participant to stumble.
Costly grace is represented as Lent Madness' inexhaustible treasury, from which the Supreme Executive Committee showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits (except on votes).
PS. Stay tuned for information released later today about Lent Madness 2016 swag. Mugs? Pint glasses? A Silver Halo for Julian of Norwich? All will soon be revealed.
126 comments on “Dietrich Bonhoeffer wins 2016 Golden Halo!”
Another excellent Lent Madness; thanks to all who made it possible, and to all who read and rooted and commented and voted.
Blessed Three Days one and all, and a blessed Eastertide....
Thank you again for a wonderful journey through this Lenten season. I have learned so much,not only from the celebrity bloggers but from the many thoughtful posts of the participants. I always read the comments before making my final choice, and sometimes was persuaded by their arguments to change my original choice.
Would love to see a GLASS coffee mug, etched with the winner, now THAT would be the start of a great collection.
I'M SO HAPPY DIETRICH WON! (Although all were great!) And I am so happy...and so grateful, that I found Lent Madness; because of it, I learned about many people (saints) that I would not have known about otherwise. I also enjoyed the humor. Your good natured site with its brilliantly lighthearted writing brightened my days. I'm only sad that lent madness is over. I love you guys! Congrats, Dietrich! Jane
Great choise !
I was just looking at the web site link for the rules in selecting saints for the bracket - posted in advance of the 2016 contest - and at the bottom of the list of saints ineligible due to their placement in 2012-2014 is the 2016 GH winner Dietrich Bonhoeffer!! See the list copied below. What gives? Is this a web glitch or was he truly ineligible? Will this require the involvement of SCOTUS to rule on the rightful GH winner for 2016?!?!?
From 2012 — 2014 (ineligible)
Basil the Great
Lydia
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Bedell
Anna Cooper
Phillips Brooks
Julia Chester Emery
Jonathan Daniels
Hilda of Whitby
Luke
Dorothy Day
Li-Tim Oi
Oscar Romero
Emma of Hawaii
Margaret of Scotland
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Uh-oh. SEC, we're gonna need a ruling on this....
Hanky Panky in the voting committee? An INVESTIGATION?! Chad HANGING! Just what I am used to!!! Julian had NOTHING to do with it, she was locked up in her cell with her cat and her Hazelnut!
I third that!
Oops.
I was looking at the Forward Movement site to pre-order a mug and I think I spotted a merchandise spoiler!
Oooh...I see what you mean. Perhaps a nice Weizenbierglas would be more appropriate, but this is pretty cool too....
I vote YES!
My first year participating and I loved it. Very rewarding. Can hardly wait for next year.
Dietrich feels very right for the times we are living in. And sharing a cup of coffee (or a beer) with him, feels just right as well.
I'll look forward to Julian's Silver Halo mug--or tote bag! Thanks for a great Lent, SEC!
How close was the vote? You didn't say, or else I don't know where to look.
It was 60%-40%. Click the "Bracket 2016" tab at the top of the page, and scroll down to find all the results for LM 2016.
As an ELCA pastor, I am proud of my fellow Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer!
I mean Luther-an!
I am fine with the results. However, after reviewing the final votes throughout the Lent Madness, it seems a bit strange that the final vote would be an even 60-40%. Does the Supreme Executive Committee have a vote of some kind that would "even things out"??
Thank you to the SEC, all the CBs, the Bracket Czar, Forward Movement Staff, all those who wrote comments, the voters, the Lent Madness global community, and all the saints for another wonderful Lenten journey! It was fun and educational. 🙂 Have a Blessed Holy Week and a Joyous Easter! Happy Lent!
thank you to all who make lent madness happen. and an especial thanks to Beth Lewis for telling the stories of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. sitting in Maundy services tonight and thinking about the meaning of love in the context of the commandment, i was glad to have the life of Bonhoeffer to reflect on.
At long last, I *finally* voted for the winner! His life and witness is sadly all too-relevant to our times. Much congratulations and appreciation to all who make this game fun and available during Lent. We'll see you in 2017.
Super-Duper!
Being a former Church Musician of German Descent (and having been raised in the Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Lutheran confessions as an added bonus) my two candidates were Dr Albert Schweitzer and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Glad to know that one of them made it!!
Seriously, we should meditate the life, work and martyrdom of D. Bonhoeffer during these Paschal Triduum days, keeping in mind how history is going recently. Even having a fraction of the courage that this man had would make a difference.
And next year, I would like to see Dr. Martin Luther himself in the Lent Madness!
Until then, Andres Gunther, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
It's Holy Saturday and I wander the deserted, echoing halls of Lent Madness…
Is there anybody still here? HELLO? Hello…hello…(hello)…
If you're out there, please RESPOND! Respond…respond…(respond)...
Here I am! Getting a shot of old Lent Madness to ease my LMW. And looking to see what earlier comments I may have missed.
Hi Kathy!
Great to hear from you. My wife and I just got back from the church (Easter Vigil rehearsal, then Altar Guild prep). We have exactly two hours before we head back.
Whew! As a priest once told me, "Every year during Holy Week I wish I was a Quaker."
ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!
THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!