This week, in the aftermath of the Oscars, join Tim and Scott on the purple carpet as the world prepares for Lent Madness 2020. Despite being snubbed (again!) for Best Lenten-Themed Movie, the Supreme Executive Committee reminds viewers that, contrary to appearances, Lent Madness is, like grace, FREE. They also answer viewer mail and recount the early days of Ye Olde Lent Madness. All that, and more, in this week's episode of Monday Madness.

Today is the last day for you to order stuff from the Lentorium -- or from our sponsors at Forward Movement -- and pay the cheapest shipping rate with guaranteed Lenten delivery. So if you want to buy stuff, it’s time to get your very own giant bracket poster or Saintly Scorecard (single copy, bulk copies for savings, or ebook for your favorite Kindle device). Scorecards are as low as a buck each, and the bracket poster is only $10 if you buy two or more. Visit the Lentorium to see the full range of merchandise, including Golden Halo winner mugs.

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Well, friends, with the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, it's time for another action-packed episode of Monday Madness! This week Tim and Scott toss viewers a Hail Mary by explaining why it's okay to play Lent Madness during the somber season of Lent. They also answer a "viewer" question about how they make a living doing this (spoiler alert: they're never retiring). And of course, there's plenty of time for shameless promotion of the Lentorium.

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Lent Madness 2020 begins ONE MONTH FROM TODAY! As the excitement continues to build for Ash Thursday on February 27, we know that you, the Lent Madness global viewing public, have been staring at your screens for weeks wondering when the 2020 Monday Madness season opener would come your way. Wait no more! Tim and Scott are back at it with an action-packed episode recorded in a rare joint appearance at the Rooted in Jesus conference in Atlanta, GA.

In this week's episode, learn about Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church Michael Curry's bracket picks (we're pretty sure his enthusiasm for Lent Madness is merely a ploy for a promotion from PB to Supreme Executive Committee).

Now, everybody knows Bishop Curry is friends with Harry and Meaghan (do yourself a favor and rewatch his royal wedding sermon here). And obviously, Lent Madness was the talk of Buckingham Palace during that heady time. In fact, our royal watchers tell us that the real reason these two (Way of) Love birds are leaving England is to get closer to the Saintly Smackdown. We'll try to get them booked onto an upcoming episode of Monday Madness. Or maybe Her Majesty The Queen. When it comes to royalty, the SEC is uncharacteristically flexible.

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It's time for the annual Easter Monday Lent Madness post-game show with Tim and Scott. This episode celebrates the victory of Martha of Bethany, winner of the 2019 Golden Halo. You'll also witness Tim messing up the intro but, well, it's Easter Monday and he's tired. Hence his drinking coffee out of a giant vat/vintage Julian of Norwich Silver Halo Winner soup tureen.

Of course, there's also product placement, namely the pre-ordering of the 2019 Golden Halo Winner Martha of Bethany Tenth Anniversary Commemorative Mug. Get yourself a mug for only $11 and sell it on eBay later for millions, if not billions. You are also reminded that there are limited quantities left of the 2018 Golden Halo Winner Anna Alexander Mug and the 2016 Golden Halo Winner Dietrich Bonhoeffer Pint Glass. And...going somewhere? Who could forget the Lent Madness Travel Mug?

But that's not all. Nope, your last gasp of Lent Madness 2019 also includes a preview of Nominationtide, the ONLY window when the Lent Madness public (that's you!) gets to suggest saints for the upcoming year of the Saintly Smackdown. Look for this brief but exciting period  coming up later in Eastertide.

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SEC Note: We recorded this week's episode of Monday Madness this morning, before we knew about the devastating fire at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Our prayers are with Paris, especially emergency responders, and all those in harm's way.

This week's Monday Madness featured our very first-ever on-air guest, the social media powerhouse George T. Dog (follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!), named after George Herbert, the very first Golden Halo winner in 2010.

In other news, Lent Madness 2019 continues to make penitential history as the first-ever all-female Faithful Four is under way today and tomorrow. Tim and Scott preview the battles and also share how the final championship match will go down on Spy Wednesday. As of Thursday morning at 8 a.m. Eastern time, this year's Lent Madness will be in the books. And by "books" we mean the annals of Lenten history. We can't predict the winner, but we can be sure that this year's champion will even out the gender line-up of Golden Halo winners, with five men and five women having taken the crown.

Remember to cast your vote (one per person!) and tell your friends to do the same. Later on, in Eastertide, the SEC will open Nominationtide, during which the Lent Madness faithful may nominate saints for the 2020 bracket. Lent Madness never sleeps.

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As the giant purple Lenten clock ticks down to the start of the Elate Eight -- aka the Round of Saintly Kitsch -- Tim and Scott share their annual warning about Kitsch Kranks, the people who just can't get on board with this level of fun and frivolity.

In this week's episode of Monday Madness, you'll get a reminder of the First and Second Great Commandments of Lent Madness, but also the reminder that if you want the facts about saints, you can always revisit the basic biographies of the first round or the quirks and quotes of the Saintly Sixteen by clicking the Bracket Tab.

The SEC also celebrates the naming of St. Anna's Episcopal Church, a new church born out of the merger of two congregations. Inspired by the 2018 Golden Halo winner, Anna Alexander, they chose the name St. Anna's. We shared this story in a special post.

Also, if you want to hear the rare instance where Scott accidentally called Tim a "friend", tune into Scott's interview with Sandra T. Montes on her Lenten podcast. He also talks about Lent, "go big or go home" liturgy, and his journey into the Episcopal Church. If you need to cleanse your palate after listening, you can read Tim's new book while you sip some coffee.

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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.

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On this Feast of the Annunciation, we are pleased to announce -- albeit without the able assistance of the Archangel Gabriel -- that it's time for a new episode of Monday Madness! Yes, everyone's favorite video commentary on the ins and outs of Lent Madness is ready to air. This week, Tim and Scott (collectively, the Walter Cronkite of Lent) preview the imminent arrival of the Saintly Sixteen, and highlight the upcoming epic concluding contests of the Round of the 32.

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Gather up the children, wheel in the elders, procure a giant bucket of purple popcorn, and settle in for this week's all-new episode of Monday Madness. That's right, folks, this is not the Lenten equivalent of a Law & Order rerun from 2002. This is a brand new episode filmed live on this very day!

This week, Tim and Scott highlight some of the tremendously creative fans of Lent Madness who have distinguished themselves by their undying devotion to the world's most popular online Lenten devotion. Who says Lent doesn't go hand-in-hand with daily show tunes and limericks?

Perhaps these creative souls were first inspired by Sr. Diana, our hymn-writer in residence and author of the official hymn of Lent Madness (brilliantly recorded by St. Peter's Episcopal Church in St. Louis, MO). But from wherever their creative mojo derives, we encourage more of the same. Keep it coming!

But, of course, that's not all Tim and Scott discuss. You'll also learn about some fascinating upcoming battles this week, including a special limerick challenge on Wednesday!

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It's Monday, and that means it's time for another epic episode of Monday Madness, in which Tim and Scott bring you Oscar-worthy* weekly updates on Lent Madness action.

As the name would indicate, the Supreme Executive Committee is extremely humble. In today's episode, which they filmed on their knees, they leave their comfort zone to share some big news about the record-breaking 2019 Opening Day numbers, including most page views ever (39,000) and most votes ever (nearly 11,000). They also celebrate the Lent Madness Twitter account crossing the 5,000 follower threshold. Speaking of which, are you following @LentMadness on Twitter? You should be.

For an unprecedented two weeks running, they don't mention the Lentorium, but don't let that stop you from making a visit.

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