Lent Madness

Now that the sun has set on the Supreme Executive Committee, Ash Wednesday is morphing into Lent Madness Eve. We had our serious moment of Ash Wednesday piety, and we’re ready to sound the fanfare on tomorrow’s opening match-up, unofficially known as the Matronly Meltdown®. Helena and Monnica step into the Lent Dome and begin the 2016 Lent Madness season at precisely 8:00 am Eastern Standard Time. Read about both saints and then vote (once!).

Maybe you’re new to Lent Madness, and if so, welcome! Whether you’re here for the first time or looking for a refresher on how it all works, we encourage you to have a look at Lent Madness Voting 101, which includes the timeless classic video on voting by the mysterious Maple Anglican.

We urge you to take full part in the Madness. Leave comments here on the website. Read what others have to say. Enjoy the (mostly) friendly rivalry and trash talk on social media. During the day, check in on the website often to see how each day’s contest is going. And above all, delight in seeing how each saint was a powerful witness of Jesus Christ.

Now, we know that all over the world, people are marking Lent Madness Eve. Following Lent Madness tradition, some reports say thousands have gathered in Times Square to watch the Halo drop. As usual, others are popping non-alcoholic beverages and refraining from consuming chocolate.

We thought we’d offer a few suggestions for making your Lent Madness Eve both meaningful and safe. Here is a top ten list of activities to engage in as you keep vigil until 8:00 am EST.

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This last day before the start of Lent has many names: Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday. But the concept remains the same. Today is the feast before the famine, the celebration before the wilderness.

Around here, though, we take a slightly different approach to the day. Today at Lent Madness we celebrate Mardi Madness! This is a day of Lent Madness evangelism; a day to share the joys of this unique Lenten discipline with the uninitiated; a time to spread the good news of Lent Madness.

The word “Shrove” in Shrove Tuesday comes from Latin scribere, to write. Eventually it became associated with confessing one’s sins the day before Lent. To shrive is to administer the sacrament of reconciliation or confession. But we at Lent Madness HQ are old school, so we like the original more literal meaning of shrive, to write. Therefore, we especially encourage you to write about Lent Madness on your friends’ Facebook walls, Twitter feeds, or driveways.

How can you participate in Mardi Madness? Oh, let us count the ways.

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Around this time of year, the Supreme Executive Inbox begins to fill up with some version of “How do I play Lent Madness?” While we like to be helpful and are happy to take your calls at 3:00 am,  you should know that there are several guidelines to follow.

1) You cannot vote by mailing Tim or Scott a paper ballot — even if it’s sent by registered mail.

2) You do need access to a computer or smart phone of some kind — votes sent by carrier pigeon, while impressive, are not valid.

3) You’re welcome to drive to the global headquarters of Forward Movement in Cincinnati, Ohio, and verbally share your vote with the staff. It will not, however, count.

4. If you live in an exotic locale such as, say, Hawaii or the south of France or a Caribbean resort, and would like to fly Tim and Scott to your home to tell us your preference in person, that will be a valid vote.

Believe it or not, there is actually a method to this Madness. And it’s quite straightforward. Fortunately for you, a Voting 101 video was produced at the behest of the SEC in 2013 by the mysterious Maple Anglican. Even though it’s a classic, this brief video remains relevant and is a great introduction for first-time participants. As we like to say, spend four minutes now and enjoy forty days of unfettered voting fun.

Finally, remember that voting begins the day after Ash Wednesday on Thursday, February 11th — aka “Ash Thursday.” The first matchup of Lent Madness 2016 between Helena and Monnica (the matronly meltdown) will be posted at 8:00 am EST. Now go watch the video!

After a rollicking, Celebrity Blogger Week, it’s time to highlight the Supreme Executive Committee. Just who are these masked (in the appropriate liturgical color, of course) men? Lent Madness creator Tim Schenck and Forward Movement executive director Scott Gunn form the self-appointed and, mostly, benevolent dictatorship that is the SEC.

In real life, the one word they would use to describe one another is “archnemesis.” Fortunately, for the season of Lent they engage in a 40 day and 40 night period of detente in order to pull off the world’s most popular online Lenten devotion. The moment the Easter Acclamation is announced at the Great Vigil on Easter Eve, the world returns to normal and their rivalry is revived.

Besides simply being supreme, what exactly is the role of the SEC? Well, that’s a mystery that will never fully be revealed. But Tim spends much of his time corralling Celebrity Bloggers into meeting deadlines, writing introductions to posts, and  managing the Lent Madness social media presence. Scott manages the Lentorium and helps bring to bear Forward Movement’s resources in terms of graphic design, publishing, and technology. He also heads the Voter Fraud Department (one vote!). Both Tim and Scott film award-winning Monday Madness episodes throughout Lent to keep the faithful informed and up-to-date on all things Lent Madness; determine the yearly bracket; and publicize Lent Madness by any means necessary.

Scroll down for some never-seen-before SEC Fun Facts!

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