It's Holy Week, but it's also the Week of the Faithful Four here at the Lent Dome. Tim and Scott come to you live with this week's edition of Monday Madness, the last in-season episode of 2018. They discuss the Faithful Four. They give shout-outs to huge Lent Madness fans who hold Faithful Four pep rallies. And they highlight a new Lent Madness 2018-inspired hymn (thankfully written by neither Tim nor Scott).

Get excited! The ever-approaching climactic end is near!

You can download the full hymn that Tim reads here, in case you want to insert it into the back of all your church's hymnals or sing it at your Spy Wednesday liturgy. Also, if you'd like to own a Lent Madness pint glass (kind of) like the one that Scott uses in this video, you can get a 2016 Golden Halo Dietrich Bonhoeffer pint glass of your own.

(more…)

This week, Tim and Scott span the globe. Tim comes live from coffee country in Nicaragua. Scott is in Cincinnati. And they are both live, discussing the Elate Eight. They also warn about people who could be grumpy about this round, so the Supreme Executive Committee once again delivers the two great commandments of Lent Madness.

Check out the bracket tab as you plan your week around Lent Madness Elate Eight contests. Best thing is to vote once (and once only) but refresh your browser dozens of times an hour to check results constantly.

(more…)

Due to technical difficulties and the burdens of exotic travel (to Beachwood, Ohio and Treasure Island, Florida), Scott and Tim are a day late with "Monday" Madness this week. Rest assured, it was recorded on Monday (we have some truth-in-advertising standards!), so you can enjoy the full Monday "live" ambience. The episode is worth the wait though, as Tim reveals his plan to try to escape Lent Madness and Scott shows his love of exotic locations for video backdrops.

Make sure you consider carefully how you vote in the Saintly Sixteen, because soon enough it will be time for the Elate Eight. Every (single) vote counts!

(more…)

This week, Tim and Scott preview the upcoming Round of the Saintly Sixteen and answer your viewer mail questions. They also highlight a remarkably prescient Lent Madness participant from the state of Washington. Oh, and they announce plans to continue their boycott of the Oscars award ceremony based on the rejection, again, of Monday Madness in the Academy Awards.

Remember, we encourage you to consider taking a day off -- perhaps several times throughout Lent -- to re-watch the entire catalog of Monday Madness episodes.

(more…)

It's time for everyone's favorite post-weekend activity, Monday Madness! This week, Tim and Scott answer viewer mail! If you want your question answered on the air, post your query to the Lent Madness Facebook page or Twitter feed next week, or send your question to Scott or Tim written (in pencil) on a $20 bill. You may become famous among your hopefully-not-too-jealous-because-that's-a-sin family and friends.

In response to a question from a viewer, Tim and Scott also mention a few books they've recently written. Or in Tim's case, recently-ish.

• Scott's brand new book, co-authored with Melody Wilson Shobe, is Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices. It's available in paper from Forward Movement or Amazon. It's also available for your favorite ebook reader: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and at the iTunes store.
• You can buy Father Tim's Church Survival Guide from Amazon in paper or Kindle.
• Dust Bunnies in the Basket: Finding God in Lent & Easter is available from Forward Movement or Amazon, or you can get it for your favorite ebook reader: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and at the iTunes store.

While you wait impatiently for next week's episode, why not re-binge-watch the entire oeuvre of Monday Madness?

(more…)

It's Monday, and that means it's time for a new episode of Monday Madness! This week, Scott and Tim bask in the glow of the first full week of saintly voting. They also highlight a change introduced this year, themed quadrants in the bracket. Finally, there's a shout-out for St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin, TX for their wonderful (and large) embrace of the Madness.

Remember, you can check the match-up calendar on the bracket tab of the Lent Madness website, where you can find out when your favorite saints step into the Lent Dome and who they'll be battling. Also check the bracket tab for each day's results, featuring one-of-a-kind headlines, brought to you by our Bracket Czar, Adam Thomas.

(more…)

This week's Monday Madness focuses on the big news: after nail-biter, down-to-the-wire drama, the Supreme Executive Committee has announced that Lent will proceed, since the Lent Madness Facebook page achieved its goal of 20,000 likes, just in time for Ash Thursday. As you know, the threat of a Lent shutdown had been made, throwing the ash and pancake industries into turmoil. Tim and Scott discuss the averted shutdown, as well as previewing the opening contest in Lent Madness 2018. We finally find out if the voters will rob Peter to pay Paul or if they'll rob Paul to pay Peter. Either way, someone's getting robbed.

Now is the time you should be finishing up your bracket predictions and generally talking up Lent Madness. While it's too late to get bracket posters, you can print out your own brackets by visiting the bracket tab of the Lent Madness website. And it's too late to send you printed scorecards, but they're still available for your Kindle, Nook, or iBook gizmos. If you see the SEC out and about, you can hand them your e-reader and a Sharpie, and they might autograph your gizmo.

Remember, the action all starts this Thursday at 8:00 Eastern time. The SEC suggests staying up all night on Lent Madness Eve and hitting refresh in your web browser, just in case some glitch results in an early start to the voting.

(more…)

Here at Lent Madness we're not unduly bound by tradition. Or at least not as much as certain stuffier circles of the church. Oh, who are we kidding? We hate change. Nonetheless, we are introducing something radical as this week's episode of Monday Madness brings all-new theme music and opening title design! Watch and behold.

Today is also the last day you can place Lentorium orders and know that you'll get your items in the USA with standard shipping by the start of Lent Madness (February 15). So the SEC urges you to stock up on Saintly Scorecards (single, bulk, or Kindle) and Giant Bracket Posters. In fact, why not head over to the Lentorium for all your Lenten needs? If you're unsure about shipping times or if you want to remember what it's like to talk with friendly customer service folks, give Forward Movement a call at 800-543-1813 during business hours to order.

Have you followed Lent Madness on Twitter? Have you liked Lent Madness on Facebook? Remember, if we don’t get to 20,000 likes on Facebook, a Lent Shutdown is almost certain. Tell everyone you know to like Lent Madness on Facebook. We are getting very close to the goal, but that doesn't mean you should avoid renting a blimp in your city to tell everyone about the page!

Lastly, if you’re looking for something for Lent besides Lent Madness, check out this year’s Lenten book from Forward Movement (Are We There Yet?), or buy Tim’s Lent/Easter book, or shop around for Lenten resources at Forward Movement. Or just send Scott or Tim a $20 bill and they’ll email some stuff they printed out about Lent. Hey, it might be good. You just never know.

(more…)

Here we are in the midst of Celebrity Blogger Fortnight Week. In this week's edition of Monday Madness, Tim and Scott welcome our three newest Celebrity Bloggers and give some advice on how to act when you meet one of your favorite Lenten personalities in person. Autographs are fine but show some decorum, people! Don't be labeled a Lentarazzi.

Of course, it wouldn't be Monday Madness if we didn't urge you to stock up on Saintly Scorecards (single, bulk, or Kindle) and Giant Bracket Posters. In fact, why not head over to the Lentorium for all your Lenten tschotske needs? Despite your denials, Lent is just around the corner!

Have you followed Lent Madness on Twitter? Have you liked Lent Madness on Facebook? Remember, if we don't get to 20,000 likes on Facebook, a Lent Shutdown is almost certain. Tell everyone you know to like Lent Madness on Facebook. We have over 500 new likes since last week, but we still need about 1,600 to reach the goal.

Lastly, if you're looking for something for Lent besides Lent Madness, check out this year's Lenten book from Forward Movement (Are We There Yet?), or buy Tim's Lent/Easter book, or shop around for Lenten resources at Forward Movement. Or just send Scott or Tim a $20 bill and they'll email some stuff they printed out about Lent. Hey, it might be good. You just never know.

(more…)

The Supreme Executive Committee has just concluded its annual spring retreat. After hours and hours of hard work -- interspersed with flipcharts and breakout sessions -- Tim and Scott have arrived at the list of saints for the 2018 bracket. Stay tuned (until November 3, All Brackets' Day) for the results. They did take a little time out to record a video update from the SEC yacht, the S.S. Penitence.

Don't forget to visit the Lentorium, and you might like to buy a 2017 Golden Halo Winner Florence Nightingale mug for yourself and all your friends.

(more…)