"It is winter in Narnia," said Mr. Tumnus, "and has been for ever so long...always winter, but never Christmas." In the imaginative writing of Golden Halo 2011 winner C. S. Lewis, Narnia was in the grip of what seemed like an endlessly grim winter. It's not hard for us to grasp this image as the United States is largely covered with snow and filled with shivering people in the midst of a pandemic.

In the church, one would be forgiven for thinking it's always Lent and never Easter. Last year's Lent started pretty normally, but most churches closed to in-person worship before Holy Week. We started a Lenten journey that it may well seem we never finished. In the last year, we've been worn down by a pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Our normal patterns and beloved customs are disrupted.

One may wonder if we're in the grip of an endlessly grim Lent as we start anew our Lenten journey. After all, the previous Lent never seems to have ended. No matter how we celebrate Easter, or even if we skip it entirely, nothing can change the fact that the tomb was empty one morning long ago in ancient Jerusalem. We can't be sure what this year's Easter will look like. But we can be sure that Christians around the world will find ways to celebrate the triumph of Jesus Christ over evil, of love over sin, of life over death.

Jesus frees us from the grip of sin, and he certainly frees us from the grip of an endlessly grim Lenten journey.

At Lent Madness, we are fond of reminding people that Lent is not about misery, though it may sometimes be about fasting and self-denial. During the holy season of Lent, we "prepare with joy for the Paschal feast" as we turn our hearts and our lives toward Jesus. In that way, even in Lent, we are always suffused with joy.

This Ash Wednesday will be unlike any other. You may not even receive ashes. Fortunately, the real centerpiece of Ash Wednesday -- despite the name -- is not the mark of our mortality, but the invitation to a holy Lent, the litany of penitence, and the recitation of Psalm 51.

There are three verses of Psalm 51 that stand out to us as important this year as we contemplate the start of another Lenten journey.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Today we step back from the usual silliness of Lent Madness to invite you to a holy Lent. Let us all pray that we might know the joy of God's saving help and the power of God's bountiful Spirit. By God's mighty grace, there is always Resurrection.

Wishing you a blessed Lenten journey,
Tim+   Scott+

Photo by flickr user Henna K.

The annual saintly smackdown kicks off on Thursday morning as Camillus de Lellis squares off against Matthias. We're calling this the Gamblers' Gambit, and we bet you will too. Odds favor an 8:00 am sharp kick-off on Ash Thursday, February 18. If you haven't made your bracket picks yet, head over to playlentmadness.com to enter your picks in an amazing newly-created and just-revealed online tracker!

This year, because we know you are struggling with the pandemic, we decided to add an official opening ceremony to Lent Madness XII, a.k.a. the battle for the coveted 2021 Golden Halo. Since we can't pack the Lent Dome with fans, we're holding an online Opening Ceremony. Perhaps next year, we'll hold an epic in-person event (no ticket scalping!).

For this year, our online ceremony begins with this video, courtesy of the Cathedral of Saint James in South Bend, Indiana.

The folks at St. James' have painted the amazing peg dolls you see in the video. Big shout out to the lay leaders and clergy for using Lent Madness as an invitation to learn more about the saints and to encourage discipleship whilst having fun.

Now, no sporting event can start without the singing of the national anthem. We were unable to secure Lady Gaga this year, but we DO have a fabulous pre-COVID recording of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in St. Louis, Missouri singing the Official Hymn of Lent Madness.

By the way, St. Peter's is searching for their next rector. If you know a priest who is open to a new call, tell them to check out the church website. Perhaps they can be the rector of the Lent Hymn Church™. Tell them to hurry; the deadline is today.

The Olympics usually start with an opening ceremony that lasts three or four hours. We know you're busy, so we're cutting it short. It's yet another way that Tim and Scott are caring for you, the Lent Madness global public.

Come back on Thursday morning as the saintly games begin. In the meantime, consider the Lent Madness XII games officially opened!

It's time for the last pre-season episode of Lent Madness 2021. Tim and Scott are back with yet another Oscar-worthy episode of Monday Madness, even if the Academy has spurned them at every turn. So dim the lights, grab some popcorn, roll out the purple carpet, and prepare to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

There's still time to study up and fill out your bracket for Lent Madness 2021. You can visit the bracket tab of the website, and if you need your Saintly Scorecard, it's still available for your Kindle. New this year, Lent Madness fan Seth Reese created a wonderful site where you can enter your bracket picks and track your progress along with Lent Madness fans around the world. Visit playlentmadness.com to enter your bracket picks! Seth is an Episcopalian and tech wizard, and if you're looking for more wizardly, check out his consulting firm, Juniper Workshop.

Get ready for the opening contest of Lent Madness which comes your way at 8:00 in the morning (Eastern time!) on Ash Thursday, February 18. It's Camillus de Lellis vs. Matthias, in the Gamblers' Gambit!

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Welcome to a special Viewer Mail edition of Monday Madness! You have questions? Tim and Scott have "answers."

In response to one such query, Scott explains how the Episcopal Church adds people to its calendar of saints.* The Supreme Executive Committee also shares the official Lent Madness coffee standard. Which means Tim gets to mention his book, Holy Grounds: The Surprising Connection between Coffee and Faith - From Dancing Goats to Satan's Drink, while simultaneously showing off the perfect mug out of which to drink your coffee, the 2019 Golden Halo winner mug featuring Martha of Bethany.

Printed Saintly Scorecards are sold out this year, but you can still get one for your Kindle. We also have giant bracket posters available. Is there a better way to spend $11 than getting a full-color printout of the saintly bracket? We think not.

Tune in for all the action -- plus more viewer questions -- RIGHT NOW!

* If you want to see the "Saintly Scorecard of the Episcopal Church," you can find the lineup of saints and biographies in the scintillatingly-titled volume, Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018.

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What?! In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Executive Committee needs YOUR help. It's true! In this week's action-packed episode of Monday Madness, Tim and Scott solicit the advice of the Lent Madness global viewing public, as they put out a request to help name some of the epic themed battles of the 2021 competition. To succeed in making your mark upon this year's Saintly Smackdown, simply combine the ethos of professional wrestling with the ambiance of holy Lenten devotion in offering your suggestions. For consideration, add your ideas in the comments section.

They also share something of the structure of the 2021 bracket, including all-new quadrant names. If you're worried about seeing the quadrants on a tiny bracket, you can get a giant bracket poster (for just $11!) just like the one Scott waves around in the video. Sounds like a lot of great content, right? Well, that's not even all of it. You might have heard that the Saintly Scorecard is sold out, and that rumor is true. The good news is that Tim and Scott are here to tell you how you can get the scorecard on your favorite e-reader, tablet, or phone.

There's more, but we need to keep you intrigued so you'll watch the full episode.

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Have you ever wondered what deli meats have to do with Lent Madness? Gather the kids around the teevee, grab some popcorn -- or a hunk of salami, and tune in for this week's installment of Monday Madness. With Lent Madness 2021 a mere 23 days away, Tim and Scott deftly delve into the bracket by previewing a few of the upcoming battles. One of which involves deli meats.

Of course, because you've come to depend on it, there's product placement. Tim shows off his Harriet Tubman Golden Halo 2020 winner mug. You can grab one of the few Harriet mugs remaining, or maybe you'll want to drink your coffee out of a Martha of Bethany Golden Halo 2019 winner mug. And don't forget the travel mug.

Life is more than coffee, we're sorry to say. The good news is that you can wile away the hours between cups of coffee by studying up on Lent Madness saints with the Saintly Scorecard 2021. Share your picks with the Lent Madness 2021 Giant Bracket Poster.

Like grace, Lent Madness is also free. You can visit the bracket tab to print out your very own bracket, free of charge. There's also a new feature: a bracket you can download, type in your picks, and then print out. Whoever said the Supreme Executive Committee wasn't responsive to the requests of the global Lent Madness viewing public?

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With a mere 30 days until the start of Lent Madness 2021, Tim and Scott are back with an action-packed episode of Monday Madness! Of course, they discuss the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, who memorably appeared in the 2013 edition of Lent Madness. How did he do? Check out this week's edition of Monday Madness to find out.

Naturally, Tim and Scott encourage you to prepare for Lent Madness by ordering your very own copy of the Saintly Scorecard. You can buy it for your Kindle or in paper. Maybe you want to buy them for your whole church or for all your neighbors. If so, you'll want the bulk price! Packs of ten are just $20, which means the Scorecards only $2 each. If you are buying three packs or more, the price plummets to just $15 for ten, which makes the Scorecards only $1.50 each. It's really crazy that they're that cheap.

If the full-color, fold-out bracket inside the Scorecard isn't big enough for you, you'll want to purchase a Lent Madness giant bracket poster. This huge poster is THREE FEET by TWO FEET. It's only eleven bucks if you buy one, and the price shrinks to just $10 if you buy two or more.

Of course, you don't need to spend a cent to enjoy Lent Madness. You can read up on the saints on the Lent Madness website once the season starts, and you can print out your own bracket on the Bracket tab of the site. However, you might like to enjoy the free website while you're sipping a coffee from your Lent Madness 2020 Golden Halo Winner Mug featuring Harriet Tubman. Lots of merch is available in the Lentorium.

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Dear friends in Christ,

Sometimes you hear people talking about how we should all be Easter People. As you know, the Supreme Executive Committee rejects this view. Both of us (Tim and Scott) think we should all be Lent People, and that's why every single episode of Monday Madness ends with "Happy Lent!" regardless of what time of year it airs.

But seriously, we love Lent not just because it's the time of year for the Saintly Smackdown. We love Lent because it calls us to renew our walk with Jesus. Lent is a kind of spring cleaning for the soul in which we turn away from all the distractions of the world and turn once again toward Jesus.

2020 has been a year of distractions, and that's putting it kindly. Thousands and thousands are dead from a pandemic. Political leaders -- regardless of your preferred party -- have not exactly demonstrated excellence in leadership. We've seen racism exposed in new ways. Violence of all kinds seems to be on the rise all around the world. If ever there was a time for us to turn toward Jesus, this is it.

That's why we're especially looking forward to Advent this year. Sure, we like it because it's a purple season and we can wear our team colors. More than that, we are grateful for the arrival of this season, which like Lent, calls us to turn toward Jesus. We're preparing for Christmas rather than Easter, but both Advent and Lent invite us to turn away from distractions and turn toward the most important things.

Though most people think of us as Lentologists, we do know a few things about Advent and especially about turning toward Jesus. Here are some suggestions to savor the gift of Advent. We hope you'll think about how you'll approach Advent ahead of time, so you can be ready to make space for the still, small voice of God. Yes, we're saying this is the Advent for Advent.

Without further ado, here are some suggestions.

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Everyone keeps saying 2020 is bringing unprecedented this and that. Well, here's one to add to the list. The Supreme Executive Committee is bringing you a brand-new episode of Monday Madness...on a Tuesday. Why? Because reasons.

In this action-packed episode, Tim and Scott discuss the all-new bracket for Lent Madness 2021. Yes, it has 32 saints --- that's nothing new. But this year's bracket offers groundbreaking (unprecedented!) new quadrants. Gather the kids and neighbors (outdoors, wearing masks, six-feet apart) around your computer and behold the new cinematic brilliance, which includes a new (very brief!) intro.

It wouldn't be a Monday Madness if you didn't hear about the Lentorium. Watch to get details on this year's Giant Bracket Posters, a bargain at $11. Buy two or more, and save! Also, this year's Saintly Scorecard includes tips for safely enjoying Lent Madness during a pandemic with full social distancing in your home or church. You can pre-order individual copies or buy them in bulk and save. Single copies are just $5, and if you buy in bulk, the price drops to just $1.50 per scorecard if you purchase three bundles of ten or more.

Of course, like the grace of Jesus, Lent Madness is free of charge. If you don't want to spend any money, you can visit the bracket tab of the Lent Madness website and print out your own bracket.

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In the ultimate October Surprise, the Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness has declared TODAY All Brackets' Day!

Normally, we announce the new bracket for Lent Madness at the conclusion of the Autumn Triduum: All Saints' Day on November 1, All Souls' Day on November 2, and All Brackets' Day on November 3. The United States Congress wouldn't return our phone calls about rescheduling the general election to accommodate our big day, so we decided -- as a magnanimous gesture -- to move our big day.

So All Brackets' Day, one of the most highly anticipated holy days of the entire year, is here early. Surprise! And, by the way, with the other "madness" (the one involving bouncing orange orbs) having been suspended back in 2020, Lent Madness is now the world's longest continuously-running bracket competition. *

Some would say that in the midst of tense political times, we should avoid distractions like Lent Madness. For a few people, that may be true. But remember the Great Commandment of the world's largest online Lenten devotion*: Lent Madness is optional. For those who enjoy the annual Saintly Smackdown, the unveiling of the Lent Madness 2021 bracket offers a reminder that God works in all kinds of people. As always, in devotion to the saints, we find both inspiration by example and the comfort of knowing that the great cloud of witnesses is ready to cheer us on.

With that all said, we hope you enjoy seeing next year's bracket. You'll find the usual diversity of saints, with a variety of race and gender, laity and clergy, ancient and modern, prophet and pastor, young and old. But you'll see Christ's light burning brightly in each of their lives.

Here's the bracket (click to enlarge):

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