In our first “Major Announcement” since the end of Lent, we’re pleased to share our line-up of 2014 Celebrity Bloggers. There are four newly minted CBs to go along with six wizened veterans. Click here to read their bios and meet the personalities who will bring Lent Madness to the masses next year.
Before we get to the names, we thought we’d let you peek behind the purple Lent Madness curtain for a peek at how the Supreme Executive Committee recruits new Celebrity Bloggers. We tell them the following:
1. The global adulation of being part of the “World’s Most Popular Lenten Devotion” © will transform your life.
2. There are groupies. The church nerd variety but groupies nonetheless.
3. The definition of “celebrity” has never been looser but in a good, holy, and life-giving way.
4. Your “reward’ is in heaven. And it’s spiritual so don’t get your hopes up.
5. Free mugs cover a multitude of sins.
6. Obedience to the Supreme Executive Committee makes you a better Christian.
7. No meetings!
8. The opportunity to base your entire self-worth on the number of votes your saint gets.
9. Adding more deadlines to your life during Lent is good for the soul.
10. Did we mention the free mugs?
The rookies (there’s no behind-the-scene hazing in case you were wondering) are:
The Rev. Amber Belldene
Dr. David Creech
The Rev. Robert Hendrickson
The Rev. Maria Kane
Returning Celebrity Bloggers are Laurie Brock, Megan Castelan, Penny Nash, Heidi Shott, David Sibley, and Laura Toepfer. Adam Thomas remains the Lent Madness Bracket Czar and we’ve added the mysterious Maple Anglican to the Celebrity Blogger page for his yeoman’s video work. Retiring Celebrity Bloggers Neil Alan Willard and Chris Yaw now reside on our Wall of Fame page (and may well make a return engagement at some point).
We’re delighted with our lineup of 2014 Celebrity Bloggers and look forward to another exciting, fun-filled(!), engaging Lent Madness next year.
PS. Look for a “Major Major Announcement” regarding a certain bracket later this month…
Celebrity bloggers my hiney, I’m still not pleased about the exclusion of Fred Rogers. I know I sound like a broken record. toooooo bad.
Delighted to hear from you. Glad there are additional reinforcements!
This whole effort surely will keep our church fresh, funny, but serious..so glad the team is enlarging!! Maybe a bishop will notice!!
Maybe a bishop will notice……haha don’t hold yer breath!!!!
Awesome!! Our new Subdean!!! Maybe we’ll have some Lent Madness fun and learning at church!
Congratulations to the new Celebrity Bloggers. This was my first year to take part in Lent Madness and, not suprisingly, my first time to ever stay with a Lenten Practice all throughout Lent. I look forward to future periodic updates from the Supreme Council.
Great group! If I have a complaint, and of course I do, it is that the group is light on people living in the south. I grew up in Kentucky and know THAT’S not in the South. And everyone in here Georgia knows Virginia is a northern state. (For example, we’ve heard there are actually some Democrats up there in the D.C. suburbs. Seriously, really look forward to the celebrity bloggers’ posts.
IMHO, Fred Rogers was the holiest person to have lived in my lifetime…and I’m counting Mother Theresa and MLK…BUT I also think if he is made, even in this small-ish way, a saint of the church, other celebrities will soon be knocking on the door. #slipperyslope We don’t want our grandchildren having to vote for Angelina Jolie vs Paul Newman, for example.
So well done SEC and congratulations celebrity bloggers.
I was hoping to see at least one minority celebrity blogger, not only racial but maybe some other clerical order or a diocesan administrator or seminary faculty member…some SE/USA geographical area besides Kentucky….some company for Maple Anglican whose identity I still don’t buy…..or as the Valley Girls say: “Whatever !!!”
Oh! I forgot to inquire about a new 2013 Frances Perkins Golden Halo mug as my Mary Mags 2012 one is beginning to look a little worn-out. We are half-way through this calendar year and I am not getting any younger and want a new mug while I’m still on this side of the dirt !
While we truly enjoyed learning more about the Saints and Saintly for the past two years, we are going to have to think long and hard about participating in 2014 after the debacles and obvious voter manipulation of 2013.
OK. A goodly, hopefully godly, batch including a Colorado priest! Now all will be good in the Lenten blogworld!
Just two words:
Joe Hill
YES!!!! I’m embarrassed I didn’t think of him. He was a union organizer when doing so was dangerous to your well-being.
Union! Union! Union!UNION!!!!!!!!
And now, a message from Paul Robeson:
Oh, my goodness. Paul Robeson has the kind of voice that resonates deep in my soul. I’m going to archive this so I can listen to it when I need to. Thanks so much for posting this!!!!
Good group, but we need more lay bloggers!
I want to second Mary Lou’s comment. I’m disappointed that you keep resorting to clergy, as if saints of the church were the province only of the ordained. Speaking as a layperson, I think this year’s honoree, who lived her faith in everyday life, should be a lesson to us all.
Another vote for Mr. Rogers.