The end (of Lent Madness 2025) is near! It's hard to believe we kicked things off over five weeks ago on “Ash Thursday” with 32 saintly souls. With your help, the field has been whittled down to just two: Zechariah and Nicolaus Zinzendorf. Perhaps it’s fitting in a year that saw us go A to Z with our saints that, in the end, we end up with two Zs. Who will receive the coveted 2025 Golden Halo? That, friends, is up to you.
Regardless of the ultimate outcome, we’ve met some truly remarkable holy people along the way. Perhaps you learned about some folks you’d never heard of before 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 encountering those who have come before us in the faith enriches and enlivens our own walk with the risen Christ.
This year saw the rise of some new and engaging faces carrying the penitential torch, as Fr. Christian Anderson and Fr. Michael Sahdev, brought some renewed excitement and Beverly Hills-style production values to the team.
Tim and Scott were especially pleased by this development, as the Supreme Executive Committee hopes to see a new generation joining the Lent Madness stalwarts in the years ahead.
2024 Golden Halo Winner Julian of Norwich prepares to hand off her crown!
Of course we literally couldn’t have done this without our amazing Celebrity Bloggers to whom we offer sincere gratitude: Laurie Brock, Megan Castellan, David Creech, Neva Rae Fox, Becca Kello, Emily McFarlan Miller, Kathyrn Nishibayashi, David Sibley, and Ellen Singer. The writing was especially stellar this year, and it was great to add three new CBs to the Lent Madness Team! (Becca, Kathryn, Ellen). Thanks to Bracket Czar Adam Thomas for his stellar behind-the-scenes work in keeping the bracket updated daily. You all rock!
And a special shout-out to veteran Celebrity Bloggers Neva Rae Fox and David Creech for shepherding Nicolaus and Zechariah to the championship round with such grace and care.
The Forward Movement folks are fantastic and invaluable in helping to make Lent Madness happen every year. In particular, we’re grateful to Jason Merritt, Margaret Ellsworth, and Ami Hooper. Ashley Graham-Wilcox is a superstar, helping us to set up the website with the daily write-ups, images, and polls.
Finally, thanks to all of you who participated by voting, commenting, drinking coffee out of Lent Madness mugs, filling out brackets, talking about saints with friends, liking us on Facebook and our new and fabulous Instagram page, and allowing us to play a small role in your Lenten 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.
Don't forget to join us TODAY for a very special Facebook Live Golden Halo Party at 1:00 pm EST.
The polls will be open for 24 hours and the winner will be announced at 8:00 am Eastern time on Maundy Thursday. Now go cast your vote — the 2025 Lent Madness Golden Halo hangs in the balance!
Nicolaus Zinzendorf
Thou God of power, Thou God of love/Let all Thy saints Thy mercy prove;/Our beauty this, our glorious dress,/Jesus the Lord, our Righteousness. (From Zinzendorf’s hymn “God’s Christ, who is my righteousness.”)
Zechariah
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel
he has come to his people and set them free.In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
43 comments on “For the Golden Halo: Nicolaus Zinzendorf vs. Zechariah”
Today, Nicolaus, because while I admire Zechariah's faith, his greatest contribution was siring John the Baptist. However, Nicolaus' faith ws centred on and in serving Christ, which he did exceedingly well. Thank you, Nicolaus for your great one-liner: "There is no Christianity without community."
I forgot to add that it is my fervent hope and prayer that Sundhar Singh will be the winner of the Golden Halo in 2026. (Is it too early to niminate him?)
Two Z's in the final!
Cool. This time, the last shall indeed be first (and second).
Many thanks to all the people involved in this remarkable project. I can only imagine the energy it takes. To the entire Lent Madness community, have a blessed Triduum. Remember we must walk together, fight for the beloved community, and protect these little ones while we have strength.
Happy to have two saintly Z’s to choose from. Zinzendorf got my vote today but I would be happy for Zechariah, as I voted for him until he was up against Zinzendorf.
Thanks to all for this year’s Lent Madness!
Thanks all for the ride!
Zechariah's beautiful prayer has inspired the faithful for millennia. Zechariah for the golden halo!
Thanks for a fascinating contest of the saints. I had no prior knowledge of Nicolaus Zinzendorf or Sundhar Singh - and glad I learned about them both.
I supported both of these Zs all the way, but for the halo I'm going for the local favorite son and voting for Zinzendorf, and for building community and mutual understanding across differences. This past weekend an arsonist set fire to our governor's mansion here in PA while our governor, his family, and houseguests were sleeping after sharing a Passover Seder. Without community and love of neighbor, there is no true Christianity -- and no hope for the future of our delightfully diverse and tragically divided world.
Zechariah for the win! Patience, faithfulness, obedience. If reincarnation exists, I might get a better shot at these qualities a few lifetimes down the road. Thank you, SEC, for another fun year!
My vote goes to Zechariah. Being John’s father, Zechariah must have been a major influence on John’s faith and formation.
We surely need Zechariah’s reminder of God’s “tender compassion” and the conviction that “the dawn from on high shall break upon us” and guide us.
The biblical lyricists and poets are REALLY GOOD, aren’t they? Zechariah’s song brings chills every time I read it.
However, I am 100% behind Count Zinzendorf - the father of the Prayer 24/7 Movement, the Moravians, the people behind a prayer meeting that lasted 100 solid years. The man who took in Christian refugees and invited them to build a village on his land. Out from that community came the first modern missionary - starting with people who went to serve enslaved souls in the Caribbean. Count Zin, founder of the Order of the Mustard Seed, a band of dispersed “new monastics” dedicated to loving the local church. A gathering of people - an Order - which has found renewed life in our generation. The Count’s quiet, sanctified revolution in the 18th Century - is still going strong with the Moravian church and countless others who are daily being formed by the 24/7 Prayer discipline. If your church ever sent out a missionary to serve in the world, we have Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians to thank for that model!
Such a great example of a man who was transformed by their love of Jesus and who creatively turned that devotion outward in service of others, building community that brought the stranger in.
Let’s bring it home for Zin! Zin! Zin!
I often am confused at how we get here. Zechariah is noted for being an arrogant priest who managed a decent expression of faith (Elizabeth probably said it). Meanwhile highly popular saints, such as Lucy, who is honoured in every Swedish household, and marks an Ember Day, fall aside at the very beginning. Overall, this is fun and a good educational tool. And no more confusing than the current Sanctoral. Thank you, all you mad Lenten organisers of this annual madness.
A most interesting Lent Madness and meeting some new saints along the way. Thank you all!
This was a tough one, as both definitely deserve the Golden Halo, but the Count got my final vote because of his movement's influence on John Wesley and the Methodist renewal movement within the Church of England and beyond.
Thank you to everyone who makes Lent Madness happen - including the voters and those who post comments. I tend to "lurk," reading comments without making any - but those comments often shift my thinking and educate me as I vote. The blend of serious information, humor, and education is magical. On to Easter!
Every year I attempt to purchase Lent Madness items but can't seem to navigate the payment part. You don't seem to want my money. Perhaps I'm not saintly enough.
It’s the Battle of the Zeason!
Come Lord Jesus be our Guest, Let these our votes be blessed! Easter is on its way!
I’ve voted for both and was very torn. But when I saw the Benedictus, and thought of the times I’ve sung it—in English cathedrals and my home church—I had to go with Zechariah. I’m sorry, Nicholas!
I'm never going to understand how a fictional saint (at best) is in the lead here, compared to Nicolas Z. who lived and died in service of the Gospel. Oh, well. There's always next year! (And my thanks to all the celebrity bloggers for gracing our lives with their research and respect for their saints.)
It's in the prayer.
Thank you all for another wonderful Lenten journey, and especially to all the celebrity bloggers. It is a joy to be part of this community. Today I cast my vote for Nicolaus Zinzendorf, for his life of service, his insight and wisdom. I am delighted to make his acquaintance and hope that he will forgive me for paying no heed to his words, 'Preach the gospel, die and be forgotten.'
Reading the Benedictus Dominus in Morning Prayer today, as I do every Wednesday, set me on course to vote for Zechariah. Count Z is just as worthy, and I did enjoy learning more about him, so (as always) I’m happy with whomever wins the Golden Halo. Thanks to all involved!
Hi i am cool and vote for zechariah
Thank you to all the Lent Madness committee members, bloggers and those participants who write comments. It has been an interesting Lent because of all those involved in the madness.
As a United Methodist, I have to go with Nicolaus Zinzendorf. He and the Moravians had a profound influence in the life and theology of of John Wesley. From them I have learned peace in the midst of storms and love in the service to community.
A beautiful job by all contributors! I look forward to this each year, learning about some who are new to me and celebrating some i have known about for years. Thank you to all who make this possible!
Disappointed that Count Z. is lagging behind (not least because I enjoy saying his name). But I doubt that the man who wanted to "preach the gospel and be forgotten" would care if he didn't win the Golden Halo.
It's 1:00 Eastern time. I'm on Facebook Live and nothing is happening. Is this event really scheduled for 1:00 Eastern Standard Time? How weird is that?
Dear Fellow Lent Madnessers,
I so appreciate the appreciative comments lifted up today about the whole Lent Madness enterprise. Each year it's a new and uplifting journey and my favorite part is hearing from fellow Jesus people in these comments.
I so had my heart set on being able to vote today for Sundar Singh, even more so with all the other crushing news this week -- including that the ICE facility in my small state, Vermont, was used to hold Rumeysa Ozturk overnight before they took her to Louisiana and is now being used to hold Mohsen Mahdawi, seized by masked federal agents while at a citizenship interview -- such that I just can't rally enthusiasm for today's choices.
I never could have imagined that I would be in Holy Week, contemplating how our Lord was whisked away in the night, interrogated, and tortured, before being led to even the even greater of crucifixion, in an America where our neighbors can be siezed by masked federal agents and just taken away . . .
Please hold Rumeysa, Mohsen, and Kilmar Abrego Garcia in your prayers.