Congratulations! You survived another weekend devoid of voting. We realize this can cause Itchy Mouse Finger Syndrome (IMFS) for which we recommend sleeping all weekend. But, sleepers wake! For it is time to begin the last FULL week of Lent Madness 2019.

As a reminder, on Friday, Gobnait washed away Paula of Rome 73% to 27% to reach the Elate Eight, where she'll face Ignatius of Loyola.

Today, in the final matchup of the Saintly Sixteen, Zenaida faces Nicholas of Myra with the last remaining spot in the Elate Eight on the line. After today we bid farewell to Quotes & Quirks and set our minds upon the Saintly Kitsch of the Elate Eight. Stay tuned later today for another exciting episode of Monday Madness as Tim and Scott break it all down.

(more…)

In yesterday's Saintly Sixteen pairing, Pandita Ramabai trounced Marguerite d'Youville 62% to 38% to advance to the Elate Eight vs. William Wilberforce. And, yes, Pandita, much like the Grinch, stole Lent from all the d'Yous down in d'Youville.

Today's battle features Gobnait vs. Paula of Rome for a chance to square off against Ignatius of Loyola in the Elate Eight. While you may think there is scant evidence about the lives of either of these saints, you can always check back to their earlier matchups to help fill in the gaps. Gobnait defeated Hrotsvitha and Paula of Rome bested Marcella of Rome.

This also marks the final matchup of another wild and wacky week of loony Lenten learning. We'll be back first thing Monday morning for the final battle of the Elate Eight as Zenaida faces Nicholas as Myra. Then it's on to the next round!

(more…)

In yesterday's Biblical battle, Photini defeated Tabitha 58% to 42%, setting up an intriguing Elate Eight matchup with Martha of Bethany.

Today it's Canadian vs. Indian as Marguerite d'Youville faces Pandita Ramabai. You'll recall that Pandita made it this far by barely sneaking past Damien of Molokai in the closest ever Lent Madness vote, while Marguerite upset(?) Phillips Brooks.

In other Lent Madness news, we shared the incredible story of two merging California congregations who decided to name their community St. Anna's, after last year's Golden Halo winner Anna Alexander.

(more…)

We love hearing stories about the ways Lent Madness makes a difference, and we have quite a story to share today. As you might have seen from coverage in Episcopal News Service, the Anglican Communion News Service, the Episcopal Cafe, or the Living Church, there's a new church in California. Two Episcopal congregations merged, and they wanted to begin their new life together under a new name.

Inspired by 2018 Golden Halo winner Anna Alexander, they have chosen to call themselves St. Anna's Episcopal Church. Here's the release their rector, the Rev. Jill Honodel, sent us. We at Lent Madness HQ pray that this new community has a flourishing ministry in which lives are transformed through the grace of Jesus Christ.

Antioch, California – Sunday, in a much-anticipated liturgy, the words of the Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Bishop of the Diocese of California, soared through the air, “It is my delight to authorize with the consent of the Standing Committee the organization of St. George’s and St. Alban’s into a new bishop’s congregation with the name of St. Anna’s Episcopal Church.”

With those words read by Canon to the Ordinary Abbott Bailey, the first Episcopal Church in the nation to be named after St. Anna Alexander was created. A community celebration is planned for July 21.

Anna Ellison Butler Alexander is a new saint in the Episcopal tradition whose Feast Day is on September 24th and will be included in the next edition of Lesser Feasts and Fasts. She came to the attention of St. George’s, Antioch, and St. Alban’s, Brentwood, during last year’s Lent Madness, Forward Movement’s version of March Madness with saints “competing” in the brackets. St. Anna “won” the Golden Halo, six months before General Convention reaffirmed her sainthood in July. Born shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Anna Alexander devoted her life to the service of others by providing much needed education and literacy to the children of those formerly enslaved. Despite the segregation of the Episcopal Church at the time, she became the first African American Deaconess in the Episcopal Church.

The new congregation has parishioners who hail directly from Uganda, Liberia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, The Philippines, Korea, Mexico, Canada, Holland, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Bermuda and Ghana among others. The Rev. Jill Honodel, Long-Term Supply Priest said, “We were so inspired by Anna's story of the pouring out her life for the sake of those formerly enslaved; despite having little resources she managed over time to build a school as well as a church to help people succeed through literacy. Educational segregation exists right here in our neighborhood in that only 9% of the African American boys pass their math through high school. We are inspired by St. Anna to do our part so that as many people as possible have a chance to succeed and the opportunity for a good future.” When parishioner Betty Smith saw the saint’s photo on the front cover of Sunday’s bulletin, she said, “It was good to come to church this morning and to see a saint of the church that looks like me. I’m really thankful that God has given this to me in my time.”

(more…)

In yesterday's matchup between the Golden Mouthed John Chrysostom and the Harp of the Holy Spirit Ephrem of Nisibis, the bishop plucked the deacon 74% to 26% to advance to the Elate Eight.

Today, we're back up to the Biblical quadrant of the bracket as Tabitha takes on Photini. The winner of this battle will meet Martha of Bethany in what promises to be a bruising Elate Eight pairing.

Yesterday, we also celebrated the release of Tim's new book on coffee and faith, titled Holy Grounds: The Surprising Connection between Coffee and Faith - From Dancing Goats to Satan's Drink. It makes a terrific gift for everyone on your Lent list! And, yes, even tea drinkers will find it a compelling read.

(more…)

As everybody knows, Lent Madness goes together with coffee like…saints go together with brackets. Well, today is a big day, as it’s the official release day for Lent Madness creator Tim Schenck’s new book on coffee and faith!

In Holy Grounds: The Surprising Connection between Coffee and Faith - From Dancing Goats to Satan’s Drink (Fortress Press), Tim serves up his usual dollop of wit with a side of inspiration. And, as it makes the perfect Lent gift for all your family and friends, we encourage the Lent Madness faithful to buy multiple copies for everyone on your Lent list this year. 

About the Book: 
If you like your coffee with a bit of inspiration, a hint of humor, and a dose of insight, you'll enjoy pouring a mug full of java and curling up with Holy Grounds. Popular author and avid coffee drinker Tim Schenck brews just the right blend of the personal and historical as he explores the sometimes amusing and often profound intersection between faith and coffee.

From the coffee bean's discovery by ninth-century Ethiopian Muslims to being condemned as “Satan's drink" by medieval Christians, to becoming an integral part of Passover in America, coffee has fueled prayer and shaped religious culture for generations.

In Holy Grounds, Schenck explores the relationship between coffee and religion, moving from faith-based legends that have become entwined with the history of coffee to personal narrative. He takes readers on a journey through coffee farms in Central America, a pilgrimage to Seattle, coffeehouses in Rome, and a monastic community in Pennsylvania.

Along the way, he examines the power of ritual, mocks bad church coffee, introduces readers to the patron saint of coffee, wonders about ethical considerations for today's faith-based coffee lovers, and explores lessons people of faith should learn from coffeehouse culture about building healthy, authentic community.

Still Not Convinced?
We get it. Don't listen to us. Listen to people whose opinion you might actually respect. Like these three amazing people who shockingly agreed to write back cover blurbs for Holy Grounds (we're pretty sure they really did read it first):

With deep research, a genuine love and devotion for the subject, and just enough of that characteristic snark to keep it funny, Schenck takes the novice and the aficionado alike on a coffee journey that will leave you craving not only coffee but the connections in community that have made its enjoyment so transformative for thousands of years.
-Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Episcopal Bishop of Indianapolis

Schenck teaches us about the justice and history and taste of coffee so we can taste the true gift of being alive in God's amazing creation. Buy the book, read it over a cup, and share your new appreciation of one of the oldest and most common beverages with a friend.
-Becca Stevens, Author of The Way of Tea and Justice & Founder of Thistle Farms

Holy Grounds goes down as smooth as a great cup of coffee should. A must-read for any over-caffeinated history lover!
  -Mokhtar Alkhanshali, The Monk of Mokha

Still Dubious?
Take advantage of Amazon's Look Inside feature to read a few sample pages. Then, if you're still not convinced this is the book for you, you can always go back to drinking bad coffee out of styrofoam cups in dimly lit church basements while reading back issues of no-longer-published church magazines.

About Tim:
Tim Schenck is an Episcopal priest, author of five books full of faith and humor, syndicated columnist, and creator of the popular online devotion Lent Madness. He serves as pastor of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hingham, Massachusetts. When not tending to his congregation, writing, or drinking coffee (often simultaneously), Tim enjoys life with his wife, Bryna, two teenage sons and the family’s two dogs. Follow him on Twitter @FatherTim.

In yesterday's saintly action, Ignatius of Loyola closed the door on Marina the Monk 60% to 40%, paving the way to the Elate Eight. He'll face the winner of Gobnait vs. Paula of Rome in the next round.

Today John Chrysostom squares off against Ephrem of Nisibis, as bishop meets deacon for a shot at the Elate Eight. Will the Golden Mouthed prevail over the Harp of the Holy Spirit? Well, that's up to you.

In case you missed yesterday's exciting episode of Monday Madness, you can watch it here. Tim and Scott dove headlong into the giant sack of viewer mail, plugged books, and reminded everyone on April Fools' Day, what it means to live as a Fool for Christ -- not by anything they actually said, mind you. Oh, and if you actually did neglect to watch Monday Madness, you should head on over to the virtual purple confessional.

(more…)

Despite the fact that it's April Fools' Day, Tim and Scott aren't fooling around in this week's episode of Monday Madness. Or at least not more than usual. In fact, after the incident of April 1, 2017, when some people were taken in by the SEC's announcement that Lent Madness was canceled, we have learned the hard way not to attempt such things with the Lent Madness global viewing public.

You always know Tim and Scott are desperate for things to talk about when they dip into their Santa sack-sized bag of viewer mail (editor's note: the use of the term "Santa" is not an endorsement of St. Nicholas of Myra). In today's show, you'll learn what surprised the SEC in the first round, whether or not they make predictions about the outcome, and what they eat to celebrate saints' days. (Spoiler alert: nothing, because Lent).

If you continue watching this Gandhi-like episode (in length, not content), you'll hear Tim blabbing about his new book, Holy Grounds: The Surprising Connection between Coffee and Faith—From Dancing Goats to Satan’s Drink, which releases tomorrow. You can buy it at most disreputable booksellers or on Amazon. You may recall a few episodes of last year's Monday Madness filmed from his sabbatical in exotic locales, such as coffee farms in Nicaragua -- this book is the caffeinated fruit of that labor.

Of course, Scott didn't let Tim self-promote without making sure our viewers know about his two recent books, co-authored with Melody Wilson Shobe (Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices and Faithful Questions: Exploring the Way with Jesus). You can get Scott's books from Forward Movement (here and here) or Amazon (here and here) or your local bookseller.

(more…)

We're back for an ENTIRE WEEK OF THE SAINTLY SIXTEEN! Yes, there's a parallel basketball tournament going on that some folks -- even many in our ranks -- think is "sweet" or "elite." But over here, it's saintly and elate. (For the college basketball aficionados among us, be honest. How many times have you accidentally referred to your other brackets by the wrong name?)

Last week we kicked off the Saintly Sixteen with Martha of Bethany and William Wilberforce becoming the first two saintly souls to reach the Elate Eight. Today Ignatius of Loyola and Marina the Monk wrangle in an attempt to join them.

Don't forget, to head over to the Bracket tab to refresh your memory on the first round matchups and the basic biographical information presented in the Round of 32. For instance, you can easily reference Ignatius' victory Tikhon of Zadonsk or Marina's win against Dominic before casting your vote today. Remember, the informed voter is the wise voter.

Look for Tim and Scott's latest life-changing episode of Monday Madness coming later today. Can't wait? Well, patience is apparently a virtue. In the meantime, go vote!

(more…)

A week that saw us transition from the Round of 32 to the Saintly Sixteen, winds up with a matchup between a man who dedicated his life to the abolition of the slave trade and a man who was born into slavery. William Wilberforce and Richard Allen square off for a spot in the Elate Eight. Fair? Just? Of course not! Ridiculous? Absurd? Of course! It's Lent Madness.

Yesterday Martha of Bethany became the first saint to make it the Elate Eight as she left Nicodemus in the dark 74% to 26%.

We were also delighted to note that the three creative geniuses of Lent Madness 2019 did not relegate their talents to the first round. Sr. Diana Doncaster, Michael Wachter, and John Cabot have continued their hymn writing, show tunes, and limericks into the Saintly Sixteen. For however long the penitential creative juices keep flowing, legions of fans remain grateful for your efforts. Bravo!

We do hope your Lent Madness Withdrawal (LMW) symptoms are not too severe this weekend. If you begin to feel out-of sorts or find yourself staring at your computer screen refreshing your browser over and over again pining for Monday morning, we suggest binge watching old episodes of Monday Madness. Or attending church on Sunday dressed up as your favorite Celebrity Blogger.

But fear not. We'll see you soon enough as things get cranked back up again first thing on Monday as Ignatius of Loyola faces Marina the Monk.

(more…)