Late last week the Supreme Executive Committee met for their annual retreat at a secure, undisclosed coffee shop. Over 24 hours, Scott and Tim drank coffee, discussed saints, argued in a Biblical fashion over which one of them was “the greatest,” and then drank more coffee. As befitting any church conference there was worship, plenary sessions, break-0ut groups, and easels with newsprint. Unlike your average church gathering, the coffee was outstanding. Because the SEC is composed of insufferable coffee snobs.
The major focus of this annual event is the discernment of the following year’s bracket. This year was no exception and the SEC is pleased to announce that, while it was touch and go for awhile, there will indeed be a Lent Madness 2017. Scott and Tim sifted through 456 separate saintly nominations submitted by 637 people in order to whittle the field down to 32 saints. How did it go? All we can report for now is that Scott and Tim came to blows several times and that the official bracket will be released on All Brackets’ Day, November 3.
There was also, apparently, a mole as photo documentation has been released highlighting some of what took place during this secretive session. This security breach means that the Lent Madness faithful have been given a unique glimpse into the inner workings of the SEC. Scott and Tim, naturally, blame each other for this dangerous situation.
The SEC Retreat began with worship. Unfortunately Tim and Scott couldn’t agree on who would officiate at Morning Prayer. Thus a liturgical stand-off ensued, meaning the retreat actually began with a “silent meditation.”
In order to keep the prying eyes of the global Lent Madness public away from the highly confidential proceedings, Scott and Tim decided to dig a moat around one of their meeting places.
At one point, Tim’s dog, Delilah, decided to stage a sit in and/or filibuster. We’re not entirely sure what she was protesting.
Most people aren’t aware of this, but the actual brackets are created by ritually burning the previous year’s brackets. Pancakes are not, unfortunately, involved.
The retreat ended with the closing eucharist. Unfortunately, the SEC could not decide which way to face — east or west. And more liturgical awkwardness ensued.
Anyway, mark your calendars for All Brackets’ Day, November 3, when the Lent Madness 2017 bracket will be released. Until then, we encourage you to pass your time over in the Lentorium.
Will the next inside peak be precedented?
Hail thee, All Brackets Day!
Blest day that are hallowed a-new-ly;
Day on which posts arise,
Breaking the hopes of some saints.
(hey, it rhymes as well as any other text for Salve festa dies)
[applause, wild cheering, sports-event type whistling]
What Peg said, thrice illuminated!
As a church musician, I applaud this addition to the oeuvre!
Well done!
Thank you so much for this update as I am having a wonderful laugh out loud moment………much needed after a long rough day…thank you again. Looking forward to Nov 3 and the new list as I missed putting my two nominees in by one day.
I’m more excited about All Brackets Day than I am about Christmas!! Let the countdown begin!!
Well, at least the SEC does seem to agree on the appropriate laptop. Maybe that will extend to other areas.
No costumes?
Indeed the SEC must have been drinking too much coffee today and forgot to run spellcheck, hence the erstwhile sneak peak!?!
I think you meant inside “peek” 😉
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sneak_peek
I thought “peak” was used into ally to note the high point of theSEC’s achievements this year..
Given the schisms inherent in the SEC, perhaps we should refer to this breaking news as a “sneak pique.”
Good one!
Well played!
This mole you speak of; will he/she be banished from LM ?!
It was probably Delilah.
I understand the liturgical standoffs completely… as a via media man myself, I would’ve had to stand obstreperously “middle” in all these situations, to oppose these two radical position takers.
Blessedly,
Len+
Thanks for the laughs!
Clearly, Delilah didn’t think you were paying enough attention to her nominations. Just don’t let her talk to St. Francis about it!
Oh, how I’ve missed you! Even my atheist husband listens and laughs.
In the Eucharistic standoff, Scott is surrendering to Jesus rather than demoing orans. Y’all musta been exhausted.
An inside mountain? Wow! That is special.
No pancakes? I was fine until then, but . . .
I’m beside myself (an image that has always amused me).
I needed some light humor today. Thanks!
Glad to know that there are other coffee snobs in the church. I have been known to “bring my own” to fellowship hour.
Was that Guy Fawkes I saw in the background in the coffee shop?!!??
Thank you for the update! Too bad Delilah wasn’t a yellow lab or a saint. She would definitely have my vote!
Since my 81st birthday in Nov.5, Guy Fawkes Day, I hope you will save some fireworks for then after your explosive announcements on All Brackets Day.
So glad the saintly scenario is in the bag. Perhaps you could slowly reveal the pious panoply throughout the day one envelope at a time.
Thanks for doing this. I love your humor!
Your post was like a long drink of cool water on a dry hot summer day.
Well….You Padres have truly outdone yourselves, Rank heresy playing around on that altar won’t do and just because you weren’t vested does not count one jot nor two tittles. As for Delilah, she is neither staging a sit-in nor filibustering and I need not be more specific. Your only hope of salvation is the fact that the atheistic husband of Cindy S. is paying you any attention which portends hope of salvation for him if he approves of you two. Thank God for y’all in my life ’cause it’s getting really “out there” here at the “Home” for the Aged and Otherwise. Be of good cheer as November is near.
Obviously the heavy equipment gave you an opportunity build a moat AND a peak.
What a relief to know that you’ve met and inspire of the liturgical stand-off, there will be a Lent Madness bracket coming this fall, right on the heels of All Saints and All Souls’ Day…which is the appropriate stole for this day?
Purple, but of course!
Oh dear…spell check did it again…I meant “inspite” not “inspire”….mea culpa.
How about an All Bracelets Day for the new saints in the Brackets? You may have seen the bracelets made up of dime-sized saints all around…a fashion first.
Glad to hear from the SEC.
Bless you, all…several tough things happening in our family just now. So nice to find this cheery selection regarding the Lenten Brackets. Thank you very much indeed.
Love the sneak pique! Religion is a serious business–it is our immortal souls we have on the line. You remind us that humor and laughter are good medicine for our souls. The laughs lighten the burden of some of the sobering events in our lifes.
One of the best pre-season LM posts ever. Love the “burning of the brackets”!
“Inside PEAK”…seriously?? “PEAK”?? Even when you rhyme it with another word, as in “sneak peek,” you still spell it P-E-E-K!!
Unless, of course, you’re in a secret hideaway on a mountain somewhere…
A warm summer day, a cool fan, an iced coffee and a post from the SEC with visions of LM 2017 – it doesn’t get any better than this!
Too funny!
Thank you for diverting my thoughts from the implosion in the UK with supreme Lenten levity. Perhaps marshmallows could be introduced to the Burning of the Brackets – something should be toasted in the flames of disappointment left behind from all those busted brackets. 🙂
Oh what a perfect idea!!!
I, too, am an insufferable coffee snob! Thanks, guys! Great post!
Perfect timing as I am designing and making a combination Advent / Lent / Holy Week “wreath” in ceramics. Now all I have to do is wait for All Bracket’s Day as we do in these waiting seasons.
I too have been overwhelmed with life lately and so appreciate the lightness and humor of LM. Thank You for raising me up!
Thank you for the giggles and smiles!
Nice that you could get together with your nemesis/arch-rival. I guess the lion really can lie down with the lamb. LOL! No really, great to see you guys working so well on this Lent Madness. Looking forward to Nov. 3rd.
Thank you, SEC, for giving us eager followers of Lent Madness an update of how the “saint selection” was going. I imagine you two took many breaks, oops, break out sessions due to the amount of coffee you drank. Also to guard the privacy of the decision making process you proceeded to build a moat and Delilah guarded the process. May I ask if some of the choices made were influenced by a rousing game of rock, paper, scissors??? Looking forward, gentlemen, to November 3!
God bless you all. You can really make me smile.
I have always said that Anglicans are a joyous bunch, and the SEC proves it. Keep the irreverence coming!