Welcome to Celebrity Blogger Week! A long-standing Lent Madness tradition, we spend the days leading up to everyone's favorite online Lenten devotion by introducing you to the fabulous writers who will make the 32 saints of Lent Madness 2017 come alive (well, they're already alive, theologically speaking, but you know what we mean).

We’ve asked all of our Celebrity Bloggers to answer a few questions and provide a photo that reflects something non-churchy that they're passionate about. The Supreme Executive Committee will be posting these intros in the order we receive them. Because we're all about fairness. Also, so you can see who the slackers are.

As the pre-Lent Madness frenzy ratchets up, we hope you’ll enjoy spending some time with the men and women who will bring you Lent Madness 2017. We think they’re all pretty amazing and not just because they essentially work for free mugs.

In preparation for Ash Thursday (March 2), make sure to order your copy of the Saintly Scorecard: The Definitive Guide to Lent Madness 2017 (while supplies last!) and perhaps you'd like a large Bracket Poster to post at church. Or in your kitchen.

But before you read about our first Celebrity Blogger, Lent Madness veteran Megan Castellan, don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Thanks — you get additional Lent Madness content AND it does wonders for our self-esteem.

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Looking for a way to promote Lent Madness in your congregation's newsletter or local newspaper? You're in luck! Below is a FREE article about Lent Madness 2017 -- no strings attached (well, besides the harp strings of the heavenly angels).

But that's not all! The Supreme Executive Committee is also tossing in widgets for your parish or personal websites ABSOLUTELY FREE. Click here to download your FREE widget. If you have no idea what a "widget" is, just ignore this paragraph.

Of course, while you can purchase a copy of the Saintly Scorecard or Bracket Poster, there is no purchase necessary to participate in Lent Madness. You can even download the 2017 Bracket for...wait for it...FREE!

Finally, if you would like Lent Madness graphics to accompany this article or to share on social media, you can download the ones here for...FREE!

Proving, once again, that sometimes the best things in Lent are free.

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Tim and Scott are back! Join the self-appointed Supreme Executive Committee for the first pre-season episode of Monday Madness for Lent Madness 2017. In this week's edition, Tim and Scott explain why some people might draw hope and inspiration from the "saintly smackdown," even in a world filled with serious problems. They also highlight the must-have penitential add-ons needed to achieve maximum Lenten fulfillment in 2017 (spoiler alert: the Lentorium is involved).

If you want your own copy of the 2017 Saintly Scorecard, they're just three bucks in the Lentorium. But the real bargains kick in when you buy them in bundles of ten. One or two bundles reduce the individual price of scorecards to two bucks. Buy three or more bundles (that's 30 scorecards) and the Scorecards are only a dollar. It's insane. But in a good way.

You can also buy your very own bracket poster suitable for framing, gifting, or venerating. Those are only $11.

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Here at Lent Madness, we love the color purple. Why? Because it screams penitential fun! Or at least it puts us in the mood, regardless of the season, for everyone's favorite online Lenten devotion. This is why, once again, we're excited to offer you some hot Purple Friday deals.

While people have been queued up for days outside the Lentorium in anticipation of this year's massive Purple Friday sale, you can cut the line by shopping right here on the Lent Madness website. The prices are unbelievable!

Here are some of the bargains on Lent Madness stuff. And check around the Forward Movement site, because there are bargains a-plenty on other stuff too, including Tim's holiday classic Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos. Some items are discounted up to 50%!

• Golden Halo 2016 Mug - Dietrich Bonhoeffer $11 $7
• Golden Halo 2016 Pint Glass - Dietrich Bonhoeffer $12 $8
• Golden Halo 2015 Mug - Francis of Assisi $11 $7
• Golden Halo 2014 Mug - Charles Wesley $11 $7
• Golden Halo 2013 Mug - Frances Perkins $11 $7
• Silver Halo 2016 Soup Mug - Julian of Norwich $13 $7
• Silver Halo 2015 Pint Glass - Brigid of Kildare $12 $8
• Coffee Mug - Purple $11 $7
• Purple T-Shirts $15 $10

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It's the day America and the world have been waiting for! Months of speculation by media talking heads, countless polls, rallies all over the place, and the specter of serious competition have all led to this: the unveiling of the 2017 Lent Madness bracket.

Tim and Scott met months ago to discern the bracket. Then the Celebrity Bloggers worked on their biographies for the first round. The Foodie-in-Residence cooked up some new recipes. And the Bracket Czar has been creating a bracket poster suitable for framing or perhaps even veneration.

Sure, you might wonder why we're going on about Lent when Lent Madness isn't for another 118 days (not that we're counting, the online counter does that for us). As Tim says, “Hey, if people can drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August, they can surely deal with Lent in November. Plus it’s either getting jazzed about saints, or dealing with a bunch of depressing politics. So you’re welcome for the gift of frenzied speculation and anticipation as we look toward the season of Lent (Madness).”

Meanwhile Scott contrasts the political news cycle with the sanctoral news cycle. “While the news has been full of sinners, well, sinning, in Lent Madness we get to look at God's grace working in the lives of, um, sinners. Like us.”

Speaking of the news cycle, don't forget to watch the SEC's brand-new episode of Monthly Madness, with exclusive tidbits of Lent Madness news!

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Did you know St. Barbara is the patron saint of warehouses? It's true! She didn't do so well in Lent Madness 2015, having lost to Thomas Ken in the first round in the epic Barbie vs. Ken battle that people are still talking about. Anyway, we sure hope we're still on St. Barbara's good side, because Forward Movement is moving from one warehouse to another. We could use St. Barbara's intercession as we pack up truckloads of stuff and set up in a new spot!

Forward Movement's logistical hassle is your gain! The warehouse move has occasioned a massive sale, including some bargains on Lent Madness items. Sale items are discounted up to 50%! Check out the whole sale, with over 60 items on sale!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said cheap grace isn't worth much. But we wonder if even Bonhoeffer would love these cheap prices on fantastic resources. Here are a few examples of stuff that true Lent Madness fans will want to purchase.
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Last week, Americans were glued to their televisions each night watching the Republican convention. This week, we all tuned in to watch the Democrats. Here at Lent Madness HQ, we're equal opportunity humorists, because just as America is made up of red states and blue states, so too purple is made up of red and blue.

We shared our insights about Lent after watching the Republicans ("Make Lent Great Again!"), so now it's time to share what we've learned from the Democrats about Lent. While The Donald is about making things great, Hillary's people are always saying, "I'm with her." So let's see how we can all say, "I'm with Lent."

TOP TEN WAYS TO SAY, "I'M WITH LENT!"

1. Balloon drop. Let's face it, the balloon drop at the end of conventions is a cliché, but it's an awesome cliché. So how about a balloon drop at the end of Lent? That's just what the Easter Vigil needs, some more drama.
2. Star power. Lots of people hate Lent. We don't, but we know people who do. It's understandable, with all the fasting and discipline. So how about a star-studded preaching series? People would love Lent if the sermon was delivered by Episcopalian Sam Waterston or if Morgan Freeman was a lector.
3. Video montage. Why do we spend so much time working on carefully crafted intellectually engaging sermons? In the age of video, we should just go ahead and switch over to heart-warming video montages.
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Everyone knows that purple is made by combining red and blue. So as far as we're concerned, whether you're in a red state or a blue state, you've got to be filled with Purple Fever. Like everyone else, we've been watching the Republican party's convention this week, and we've learned a few lessons. Don't worry, we'll be watching the Democrats too, and we'll be sharing what we learn from them.

If nothing else, The Donald has mad showman skillz that even two publicity hounds like the Supreme Executive Committee can respect. So we watched and learned. Here's how we think we can make Lent great again.

TOP TEN WAYS TO MAKE LENT GREAT AGAIN

1. Fasting?! Forget it. Real Christians feast. All. The. Time.
2. Confession. Let's face it. It's no fun to confess privately. If you're going to describe your sins, get a reality show and do it on the air.
3. Gambling. Forget that Wednesday evening book group. You can do better. You might not be able to set up a Trump Lent Casino at your church, but you can at least do bingo instead of books.
4. Sermons. Tell your priest to stop working so hard on carefully nuanced essays. Sermons need to be filled with an endless succession of bumper-sticker sayings that may or may not tie together. An example. "Jesus went into the wilderness. It was the greatest wilderness. It had angels. They gave him bread. It was Wonder Bread, because that is the most American kind of bread. Jesus was the greatest. Make Lent great again."
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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.

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As long-time Lent Madness fans will know, the epic video series offered by Tim and Scott, Monday Madness, changes to Monthly Madness in the off-season. This is the first episode of Monthly Madness for 2016. In this month's episode, coming in the final hours of Nominationtide, the Supreme Executive Committee answers viewer questions about nominations. (Remember to make your nominations before Tuesday afternoon, April 26.) They also cover important topics such as the news that 2013 Elate Eight veteran Harriet Tubman will appear on the US $20 bill.

There is only one place to make your nomination for Lent Madness 2017. Go to our Nominationtide post and leave a comment. That's it. Well, that or a name penciled on the back of a $20 bill and mailed to the SEC. But the free version is to leave a comment on the Lent Madness post seeking nominations.

Make sure you stop by the Lentorium and stock up on Dietrich Bonhoeffer Golden Halo winner mugs or pint glasses, or Silver Halo winner Julian of Norwich soup mugs. At the moment, the items are being individually hand-crafted, so order now to make sure you're at the top of the list when they ship. Or else you can camp outside Lent Madness HQ and buy them on opening day.

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