Everyone needs a Brooklyn hipster in his or her life. We're not entirely sure former chemists qualify as hipsters but David Sibley is most definitely living in Brooklyn amongst the artisinal-everything loving hipsters. Sure, he's actually from South Carolina but what's a little geographical fudgery among friends? This is David's second year as our youngest Celebrity Blogger but, since he's in parish ministry, he's aging rapidly.

The Rev. David Sibley

David Sibley, while living in Brooklyn, does not craft artisanal cheeses. Instead, he serves as Priest-in-Charge of Saint John’s Church, Fort Hamilton, where six of the saints featured in this year’s bracket stare back at him every time he celebrates the Eucharist. Raised right in the middle of South Carolina, David studied and did research as a chemist before being whisked away to seminary in New York City. When he’s not in church, David enjoys travel, hiking and camping, all things food and music related, and praying for the yearly resurrection of the Chicago Cubs’ World Series hopes. When the ideas are forthcoming, he’s been known to blog at Feeding on Manna, and holds forth much more often with his partners in crime on Twitter at @davidsibley.

How has Lent Madness transformed your life?
Well, let’s just say that when you’re searching for Saintly Kitsch on Etsy and eBay during the Elate Eight, you see things, man. I just can’t unsee some of the terrible, terrible, kitsch that I’ve seen. There is nothing – nothing – that someone out there has not thought worthy of bedazzling.

For me, perhaps the most rewarding and transformative aspect of Lent Madness has been to hear the stories people share in comments and on social media about how the various saints have had an impact on their lives of prayer and discipleship. People come to regard the saints as their friends in faith, and as companions along a journey. So Lent Madness has become a regular part of Lent for me, and one that I look forward to each year, because it means not only learning some new things, but also, hearing how other people’s lives have been transformed by walking with the saints.

Obviously being a Celebrity Blogger is your greatest lifetime achievement. What perks have you enjoyed as a result of your status?
This one time, Tim handed me a free cup of coffee. It was a touching moment that I’ll cherish forever. Actually the biggest perk of being a Celebrity Blogger has been that I’ve been able to meet and converse with a whole bunch of really cool people over on social media, and made a few really good friends through the process.

What do you hope the Lent Madness public will learn from the lives of the saints?
I would hope people will learn see that when people follow after Jesus, God inspires ordinary people to lead lives of extraordinary faithfulness and boundless courage. My preaching professor in seminary often pointed to a saying attributed to Martin Luther, “God rides the lame horse; God carves the rotten wood.” For me, that’s true when I look at the lives of the saints: for as often as a saint wanted to quit, or failed in a venture, or was on the edge of burnout – God would transform brokenness and failure into something bigger and grander than they could have ever imagined. The lives of the saints are so often images of magnificent transformation in the service of Jesus Christ – and the saints inspire me to want to be transformed, too.

To paraphrase the old Tommy Lasorda Slim-Fast Commercials: If they can do it, I can do it, too!

Someday, when you become the answer on Jeopardy, what will the question be?
Now hold on a second: shouldn’t this go the other way? I thought the answer is a question on Jeopardy, and the question is the answer. I’m very confused as to what is actually being asked here, so I’m going to present the episode as I picture it playing out:

Contestant: “I’ll take Being Pedantic on Profiles for $500, Alex”
Alex Trebek: “During Lent Madness Celebrity Blogger Week 2014, he started arguing with a very easy profile question because he didn’t have an insightful way to write about his deep love of the Chicago Cubs and South Carolina Gamecocks, his tendency to binge television series on Netflix, or the fact that he spends way too much time on Twitter.”
Contestant: “Who is David Sibley?”
Alex Trebek: “Correct.”

That question, neeedless to say, should not be a Daily Double.

We're glad David Creech took us up on our offer to serve as a Celebrity Blogger this year for two main reasons. First, he's a Lutheran and this proves that we're ecumenical. Second, when we inevitably hear someone yelling "Is there a doctor in the Lent Madness house?" we have David around to save the day.

Dr. David Creech

David Creech is Assistant Professor of Religion at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. A student of early Christianities, David knows a lot about saints — they killed many of his research subjects. He is a product of an Evangelical seminary and a Catholic PhD program and now teaches at a Lutheran college and worships with Episcopalians. For those looking for the ecumenical voice (read: objective and unbiased/quite confused) in this year’s competition, he’s your man. Although he does dress in robes from time to time, David brings the unique perspective of a layperson. His book title is long and boring (The Use of Scripture in the Apocryphon of John: A Diachronic Analysis of the Variant Versions) but nearly sold out of its initial print run of 200 copies. You can follow David on Twitter@dyingsparrows and read his oftentimes provocative posts at his blog by the same name. When not teaching and writing, David enjoys the company of his wife, Jessica, and their three children, Ian, Ela, and Dylan.

How has Lent Madness transformed your life?
Firstly, only Jesus transforms me. Lent Madness, however, has been a wonderful place to make friends and laugh. I found a community full of curious and playful people. Each day I was exposed to new ideas and learned fun facts about lives of extraordinary (and sometimes quite ordinary!) people. I found myself reflecting on their lives throughout the day. The Lent Madness blog and the Twitter feed allowed for further conversation, sometimes serious, sometimes playful, always a treat. I also enjoy the daily opportunity to explore the lives of the saints and to reflect on my own commitments and values.

Obviously being a Celebrity Blogger is your greatest lifetime achievement. What perks have you enjoyed as a result of your status? 
The perks of being a Celebrity Blogger really pale in comparison to all the credibility, prestige, and money that come from being an assistant professor of religion at a small, regional liberal arts school in the frozen Midwest. That said, what is most thrilling about being a Celebrity Blogger is that I now receive occasional emails from the inimitable Scott A. Gunn and the always right Reverend Tim Schenck (see what I did there?). Sometimes they even reply to my tweets. Oh, and I think I am supposed to get some mythical mug.

What do you hope the Lent Madness public will learn from the lives of the saints?
So much! I’d have to say that at the top of my list is the fact that the lives of the saints are messy and our memories of them are not always as accurate as we would like. Sometimes the saints seem very mundane, other times exceptional (even too exceptional). Whatever the case, their lives and how we remember them encourage us to think about what it means to be the people of God.

Someday, when you become the answer on Jeopardy, what will the question be?
"Who is the first Celebrity Blogger to seamlessly blend academic rigor and sardonic wit in 400 word biographies of the saints thus effectively making said biographies must read think pieces."

No, your eyes don't deceive you. Today's featured Celebrity Blogger looks an awful lot like a former CB named Laura Toepfer. We were going to do a whole separated at birth thing to confuse the Lent Madness faithful but decided to come clean. Laura got married after Lent Madness 2013; hence the name change. So to be clear: Laura Toepfer is Laura Darling.

While the Supreme Executive Committee cannot condone weddings during Lent (or anything else that might distract someone from Lent Madness) we are thrilled for Laura.

The Rev. Laura Darling

Laura Darling, now entering her third year as a battle-hardened Celebrity Blogger, spends half of her time as the Managing Director of Confirm not Conform, an organization devoted to creating confirmation programs that celebrate questions and authentic faith; half of her time as the Director of Spiritual Care and Senior Director of Senior Resources for Episcopal Senior Communities; and the other half of her time with her wife and their three dogs and two cats. After seven years in college, youth, and parish ministry, in 2008 Laura became a Kiva Fellow and worked with microfinance agencies in Uganda before returning to her native California. She preaches regularly throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and in her rare moments of spare time blogs at The Infusion and tweets @ldarling15. She also has a thing about obituaries.

1. How has Lent Madness transformed your life?
2. I look at the liturgical calendar completely differently. If it’s the feast of Evelyn Underhill, I remember, along with her teaching on mysticism, how she whupped Monica in round 2 back in 2012. What’s really sad is I didn’t even need to look that up. I just pulled that from off the top of my head. I can’t say if that’s a good thing or not. But it’s the truth. I’ve become one of those people who quote stats about sporting events. I haven’t gone so far down this trail that I’m able to pull up the matches for every saint; mostly the ones I wrote about. But still.

Obviously being a Celebrity Blogger is your greatest lifetime achievement. What perks have you enjoyed as a result of your status?
As a heavy-duty tea drinker, the free mugs are an excellent bonus. Especially since the last two Lent Madness mugs have been broken by marauding cats. I hope Frances Perkins proves more hearty. But it’s also really fun to be able to dig into the lives of the saints in a deep way. When you only have 400 words to summarize the life of someone who’s been influential to you and to the life of the church, it’s really tough and I think we all take it very seriously. I do a lot of research and dig into original documents as I am able. (I highly commend the website Project Canterbury as an online resource.) In a way, it’s easier to do the obscure saints because there’s less to find. I pity whoever wrote up Augustine of Hippo – I mean, how do you boil all that information down? But the saints I’ve gotten to write about are people I already cared about as spiritual influences; it’s been a joy to have the opportunity to learn more about them and think about them deeply and to represent them as best I can.

What do you hope the Lent Madness public will learn from the lives of the saints?
That there are lots of different ways to be a witness to God’s love and grace. That it’s not about being a certain type of person or doing a certain type of thing or having a particular kind of personality. That these are real people with foibles and frailties (I’m looking at you, John Wesley), and that Christian Perfection is not about never making mistakes, but that by God’s grace we may, though love, do the work of God in transforming the world.

Someday, when you become the answer on Jeopardy, what will the question be?
Well, I suspect the question will be “Who is Laura Darling?” As to what the answer will be, I have no idea, and I suspect no one will know it. Unless, of course, they are seriously hard core Lent Madness fanatics.

The celebrity parade that is Celebrity Blogger Week continues with second-year participant Megan Castellan. Megan has the distinction of being the only CB to blog from different parts of the country in consecutive years. Last year she was serving in Arizona and this year she calls Kansas City, Missouri, home. This wouldn't be such a big deal except the Supreme Executive Committee was highly inconvenienced having to update Megan's bio. Not that it's all about us, of course.

The Rev. Megan Castellan

Megan Castellan is Assistant Rector, and Chaplain at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Day School, Kansas City, Missouri. She is excited to be one of the few clergy to have a title (ARC) that is also a geometric figure, though why this fact has proved less amusing at parties, she can’t imagine.  Her ongoing adventures and strong opinions are chronicled in her blog Red Shoes, Funny Shirt  and on Twitter @revlucymeg. (She also writes on Mondays for the Episcopal Cafe, though the snark factor is significantly lower there.) In her spare time, she enjoys singing, cooking, being obsessive about television comedy, and marshaling the forces of the Ginger Rescue Squad, otherwise known as her rescue dog and rescue cat.

How has Lent Madness transformed your life?
For each saint I've had the pleasure of writing for, I developed an emotional attachment to that person. It's like we're friends, in a weird, beyond-the-grave, I-have-a-mug-with-your-face sort of way. The communion of saints is real to me in a different way now, and I frequently find myself thinking "What would Oscar Romero do? What would Catherine of Siena do? What would Harriet Tubman do?" And I do attribute the election of Pope Francis to a prayerful threat I made to Archbishop Romero to come see about his church already.

Obviously being a Celebrity Blogger is your greatest lifetime achievement. What perks have you enjoyed as a result of your status?
My hair is longer, my skin is brighter, my nails are stronger! I get free drinks in bars; children and pets trail after me in the streets! In more provable areas, discovering I was a Celebrity Blogger for Lent Madness caused great excitement when I was being interviewed for my current job, which helped enormously in my discernment process. I have met truly wonderful, funny people across the country, and even in Canada. I even get free mugs. This is the best job ever.

What do you hope the Lent Madness public will learn from the lives of the saints?
The saints are complex, unique characters; there's no one-size-fits-all form of sainthood, there's no one way to be holy or faithful. Some saints excelled at contemplation, and withdrawing from the world. Others were good at charging in, and changing the world from the middle of everything. Some saints had unshakeable faith in God; others were arguing with God every other minute. If you've thought it, struggled with it, or done it, chances are, a saint has, too.

Someday, when you become the answer on Jeopardy, what will the question be?
Answer: "Currently a school chaplain for children ranging in age from 2-14, the youngest ones cannot pronounce her last name, and call her "Chaplain Chocolate" or "Chaplain Quadriceps" instead."

For the second day in a row, we're featuring a rookie during Celebrity Blogger Week. Amber Belldene is not your grandfather's Episcopal priest (unless your grandfather's Episcopal priest was also a romance writer), which is one of the reasons we're jazzed she's joined us for our pursuit of the Golden Halo.

Some of you have been wondering if there is a hazing process for new CBs. The official answer is that we do not condone hazing of any kind. Also the rumor that we require a Lent Madness tattoo is greatly exaggerated.

The Rev. Amber Belldene

Amber Belldene is a romance writer and the alter ego of a vampire-loving Episcopal priest. She grew up on the Florida panhandle swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees, and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons — an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days. Amber believes stories are the best way to examine life’s truths, and she is passionate about the relationship between sexuality and spirituality — namely, that God made people with a desire for love, and that desire is the heart of every romance novel. Her paranormal romance series Blood Vine is now available from Omnific Publishing and her sexy contemporary novella One Sinful Night in São Paulo, about an Episcopal seminarian looking for love, is scheduled to release later this year. She loves wine, history, heirloom tomatoes and she lives with her husband and children in San Francisco. For more information about her books or to check out her blog go to www.amberbelldene.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmberBelldene or Facebook.

How has Lent Madness transformed your life?
So, I'm not going to lie. I haven't followed Lent Madness in the past, except second-hand through clergy buddies. But, I'm very excited to take part this year. We've hung the bracket poster up in the front office and I'm ready to be transformed!

2. Obviously being a Celebrity Blogger is your greatest lifetime achievement. What perks have you enjoyed as a result of your status?
Well, I've sold some romance novels, apparently, because when you look at my books on Amazon you see "People who bought this book also bought..." several books by Lent Madness Celebrity Bloggers. So, that's cool. I do realize racy romance novels are not everyone's cup of tea, but the more I talk with people who do read them about God, and holy longings, and sex, and spirituality, the more sure I am God has called me to this surprising pair of vocations. When I talk to readers and writers, I get to "preach" about incarnation and the goodness of creation, which includes us and our sexual desires, to an audience largely unfamiliar with the Episcopal Church. Many of them are excited to hear about a church that considers this to be a part of the Good News.

What do you hope the Lent Madness public will learn from the lives of the saints?
I love the idea of people engaging with the stories of Holy Women and Holy Men. These kind of examples inspire us to consider what faith has looked like throughout history, and what courage and sanctity look like in our modern context. Novelist-me thinks a lot about heroism, and what enables a person to devote their life to doing good or to take a risky stand on behalf of those in need. I love to teach Moses and then watch Martin Luther King Jr.'s last speech, in which he talks about how he too has seen the Promised Land, and he's not afraid, even though he may not get there. It was almost immediately afterward that he was killed. The speech is so wonderful for asking people to consider what would they stand up for, no matter the risks and I think many of the live of the saints have that quality as well.

Celebrity Blogger Week continues as we welcome a fresh face to the Lent Madness fold (not that the veteran bloggers have stale faces, mind you). Maria Kane is excited to be part of the Madness in 2014 and we're excited she allowed us to twist her arm. Plus we told her she wouldn't really have to do anything. We might have lied just a little bit but it's okay since Lent hasn't started yet.

The Rev. Maria Kane

Maria Kane is an Episcopal priest, historian, and proud native Texan. Her favorite role, however, is being godmother to Cal (6) and Leila (4). She has served as a parish priest in Virginia and boarding school chaplain in New Hampshire. Among other things, boarding school life dramatically increased her knowledge of pop culture and internet lingo, for which she is immensely grateful (as are her friends). Maria is a contributor to Weavings and Alive Now! magazines, and like a true mad woman, she's completing final revisions of her dissertation, "Pretty Girls & Fascinating Boys," a study of race, sexuality, and adolescence in late twentieth-century evangelicalism. In her free time, Maria loves reading, cooking, gardening, and finding grammatical errors in the New York Times. She can be found on Twitter @mariaconchia.

How has Lent Madness transformed your life?
For starters, it has nurtured my often unrequited love of history. It's also been a fun conduit for meeting people and making new friends (but keeping the old, 'cause you know, one is silver and the other is gold). It's expanded my sense of community, as well.

Did I mention I love any excuse to talk about history?

What do you hope the Lent Madness public will learn from the lives of the saints?

I hope people will see that being a saint isn't about perfection or surrendering to a formulaic life. From the saints' lives, I want the Lent Madness public to see the grace, sacredness, and possibilities in their so-called "ordinary" lives. I hope people will embrace the idea that they, too, have a place in God's family of faith. Of course, if they develop a passion for history that would be fantastic, too.

Someday, when you become the answer on Jeopardy, what will the question be?

Among other things on this person's bucket list are cocktails & dinner with her closet friends and the hosts of NPR's Morning Edition& All Things Considered at the home of the subtlety  pretentious, yet talented Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa. There will be plenty of orange flowers, of course.

While not technically a Celebrity Blogger, Maple Anglican nonetheless has become the official video blogger of Lent Madness. Since the Supreme Executive Committee is generally benevolent, we have included the mysterious Maple Anglican in Celebrity Blogger Week.

You can find Maple's videos featuring Archbishop's John Chrysostom and Thomas Cranmer on the newly created YouTube channel, Lent Madness TV. They'll be providing commentary throughout the saintly smackdown -- commentary you won't want to miss. Ever.

Maple Anglican is the nom de plume of the mysterious Anglican Vlogger living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Very few know his true identity. Supposedly he is married with two young children, a son and daughter, attends All Saints’ Cathedral, Edmonton, has really bad grammar, and is very proud that he is Scott Gunn’s “Canadian Nemesis.” Last year in Lent Madness he was able to collaborate with the late Archbishops John Chrysostom and Thomas Cranmer  (@LMArchbishops) using a special device called the “Clairvoyatron,” a device even more mysterious than Maple Anglican himself.  Some say that he’s really a plant by ACNA, while others think he’s a complete git. Either way we still watch his videos. He can be found on Twitter @MapleAnglican,Facebook, or YouTube.

How has Lent Madness transformed your life?
I would say it has gotten the chance to bring out Church Geek in me a lot more and meet a lot more Church Geeks.

Obviously being a Celebrity Blogger is your greatest lifetime achievement. What perks have you enjoyed as a result of your status?
Well, it seems that I have become a bit more mysterious than I previously have been.

What do you hope the Lent Madness public will learn from the lives of the saints?

Maple in a ball pit

All competitiveness aside Lent Madness is a great way for people to learn about the Saints, and more importantly, the history of the Church. In the modern so-called "Post-Christian" society there is definitely a lack of knowledge about Christianity and I think that Lent Madness helps to educate people. At the same time this isn't just for Anglicans/Episcopalians; we have Roman Catholics involved. We have Lutherans involved. It is something that is ecumenical.

Someday, when you become the answer on Jeopardy, what will the question be?
I would want the "Answer" to be "This anonymous Canadian video blogger was part of the Social Media Evangelization movement of the early 21st Century."

[Yes, this should be in the form of a question but we'll cut MA a break. He's Canadian after all.]

Celebrity Blogger Week (or however long it takes) kicks off today! We'll introduce you to our fabulous stable of writers who will help make Lent Madness 2014 happen  (please note: by "stable" we're not implying that they're all horses although Laurie Brock actually does own a horse named Nina).

We've asked all of our non-equine CBs to answer a few questions and provide a photo that somehow reflects or sheds new light upon them. While we did this in alphabetical order last year, in 2014 we're getting loopy and mixing things up. In other words, we're posting these in the order we receive them, which also offers subtle motivation to those Celebrity Bloggers who haven't yet submitted their answers to the SEC to get them in ASAP.

As the pre-Lent Madness frenzy ratchets up, we hope you'll enjoy spending some time with the men and women (not horses) who will bring our 32 saints alive for us this year. We think they're all pretty amazing and not just because they work for carrots, er peanuts.

But before you read about our first CB, don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Thanks -- it's good for our self-esteem.

Canon Heidi Shott

Heidi Shott, entering her third year as a Celebrity Blogger, is Canon for Communications and Social Justice in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine. She is a member (and past Vice Chair) of the Standing Commission on Communications and Information Technology and served as Chair of the Episcopal Life Board of Governors. She worked on the Office of Communication’s video news team at two General Conventions, hosting “The Daily Wrap” in Anaheim in 2009. In Indianapolis she hosted an interview blog atwww.indy300.net. Praised widely for her writing about faith in daily life, Heidi writes for a variety of publications and blogs. She keeps the blog Heidoville. With the departure of their twin sons for college, she and her husband Scott are milling aimlessly around their home in mid-coast Maine where they root for the Red Sox even when they lose. Follow her on Twitter @heidomaine.

How has Lent Madness transformed your life? 
I never thought of myself as a competitive person until Lent Madness came along. I haven't won anything since my third place ribbon for the triple jump in the Holland Patent Central School 6th grade track meet in 1974. There's something about looking at those vote totals when one of my saints is up that lights a holy fire in my heart. In the first round last year Frances Perkins was neck and neck with Damian of Molokai. As it approached midnight East coast time, I was worried she might lose and that all the people who had never heard of her life and witness would go on with their lives without hearing about her life and witness. That's when I decided to take action and vowed to keep tweeting photos of Graceland to the Lent Madness twitterverse (I happened to have a lot of Graceland photos on my phone) until Perkins took the lead. It paid off. She won the first round and never looked back all the way to the Golden Halo.

Obviously being a Celebrity Blogger is your greatest lifetime achievement. What perks have you enjoyed as a result of your status?
The executive director of the Frances Perkins Center bought me a cup of coffee at the Maine Coast Bookshop and Cafe last year. That was sweet. I'm still waiting for the letter from Social Security Administration to announce that they will double my lifetime benefits because of my relentless support of Perkins, not to mention the free trip to Hawaii for helping Queen Emma get to the Golden Halo Round in 2012.

Dear Friends,

Today we offer you an amazing pre-Lenten gift. No, it's not a hair shirt -- you'll have to find one of those on eBay. It's a free, no-strings-attached newsletter/website article ghost written by the Supreme Executive Committee about Lent Madness 2014. Feel free to use it (for free!) in your church's publications. If you are a parish administrator or communications specialist, this is your lucky day. If you are a priest that's on deadline and you've used one of your three wishes from the genie that came out of the oil lamp you stumbled upon in the undercroft on the magic appearance of a newsletter article, consider it granted.

That's not all, of course. Besides newsletters, this material can be used to e-mail friends and family, as graffiti around the neighborhood (note: the SEC has an ironclad alibi), by skywriters hired to spread the word, or applied in needlepoint to kneelers.

But please don't think of this as mere "filler." Think of it as "ful-fill-ment." And note that if you encounter any typos or prevarications, Scott and Tim will blame the other for the oversight.

But...in the spirit of the famous Ginsu Knives...that's not all! Use this article now and we'll throw in free widgets for your website or blog!

Lent Madness 2014

The Saintly Smack Down!

Grit, determination, perseverance. These are the traits, along with the obvious one -- holiness -- that will be needed to win the 2014 Lent Madness Golden Halo. Based loosely on the NCAA basketball tournament, Lent Madness pits 32 saints against one another in a single-elimination bracket. It is also a wildly popular online devotional designed to help people learn about saints.

Lent Madness began in 2010 as the brainchild of the Rev. Tim Schenck, an Episcopal priest and rector of St. John’s Church in Hingham, Massachusetts. In seeking a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women who make up the church’s calendar of saints, Schenck came up with this unique Lenten devotion. Combining his love of sports with his passion for the lives of the saints, Lent Madness was born on his blog “Clergy Family Confidential.”

Starting in 2012, Schenck partnered with Forward Movement (the same folks that publish Forward Day by Day) executive director the Rev. Scott Gunn, and Lent Madness went viral, reaching over 50,000 people and getting mentioned in everything from the Washington Post to  USA Today, to Sports Illustrated (seriously).

Here’s how it works: on the weekdays of Lent information is posted at www.lentmadness.org about two different saints. Each pairing remains open for 24 hours as participants read about and then vote to determine which saint moves on to the next round. Sixteen saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elate Eight; four make it to the Faithful Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the coveted Golden Halo.

The first round consists of basic biographical information about each of the 32 saints. Things get a bit more interesting in the subsequent rounds as we offer quotes and quirks, explore legends, and even move into the area of saintly kitsch. It’s fun, it’s informative, it’s the saintly smack down!

This year Lent Madness features an intriguing slate of saints ancient and modern, Biblical and ecclesiastical. The 2014 heavyweights include Thomas Merton, Catherine of Siena, J.S. Bach, David of Wales, John Wesley, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Joseph of Arimathaea. The full bracket is online at the Lent Madness website.

New this year is the publication of the Saintly Scorecard -- The Definitive Guide to Lent Madness 2014. Available through Forward Movement, it contains biographies of all 32 saints to assist those who like to fill out their brackets in advance, in addition to a full-color pull-out bracket.

This all kicks off on “Ash Thursday,” March 6. To participate, visit www.lentmadness.org, where you can also print out a bracket for free to see how you fare or “compete” against friends and family members. Like that other March tournament, there will be drama and intrigue, upsets and thrashings, last-minute victories and Cinderellas.

Ten “celebrity bloggers” from across the country have been tapped to write for the project including the Rev. Laurie Brock of Lexington, KY; the Rev. Penny Nash of Williamsburg, VA; Dr. David Creech of Morehead, MN; the Rev. Megan Castellan of Kansas City, MO; Canon Heidi Shott of Newcastle, ME; the Rev. David Hendrickson of Denver, CO; the Rev. Amber Belldene of San Francisco, CA; the Rev. David Sibley of Brooklyn, NY; the Rev. Laura Darling of Oakland, CA; and the Rev. Maria Kane of Houston, TX. Information about each of the celebrity bloggers is available on the Lent Madness website.

If you’re looking for a Lenten discipline that is fun, educational, occasionally goofy, and always joyful, join the Lent Madness journey. Lent needn’t be all doom and gloom. After all, what could be more joyful than a season specifically set aside to get closer to God?

Forward Movement is a ministry of The Episcopal Church dedicated to making disciples and sharing the Good News. With offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forward Movement has worked since 1935 to reinvigorate the life of the church.

NOTE:
High-resolution graphics are available upon request. News organizations and non-profits may freely use graphics from the Lent Madness website, with attribution. Free Lent Madness widgets for website are also available for download.

Contact: press@lentmadness.org

As everyone knows, the Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness has a virtual monopoly on all things Lent. It's gotten to the point where our legal team is exploring the possibility of copyrighting the color purple.

So what are Tim and Scott doing meddling in the Season of Advent? Good question. But Forward Movement has just published Tim's Advent/Christmas devotional book titled "Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos." Illustrated by popular priest/cartoonist Jay Sidebotham, the book is a series of humorous and insightful essays on ways to keep spiritually centered amid the craziness of what Tim likes to call the "Christmas-Industrial Complex."

Here's the blurb from the back cover:

Christmas card trauma. Over-the-top decorations. Post-Christmas blues.
With laugh-out-loud humor anchored by spiritual truths, author Tim Schenck helps us maintain our spiritual sanity through the often frenetic chaos of Advent and Christmas. Illustrated by popular cartoonist Jay Sidebotham, Dog in the Manger also explores the major characters of the season in new ways, including John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, and of course, Jesus. Thoughtful questions following each section make Dog in the Manger ideal for personal reflection, seasonal book groups, or a last-minute Christmas gift.

The book has reflection questions following each section so it's perfect for either individual or group reflection. (Note to parish clergy: that Advent series you've been meaning to put together but haven't got around to yet? Here's your salvation).

The powers-that-be have subjected Tim to the same questions posed to our authors during September's Back to Lent Month. He was less than cooperative.

Why this book? 

Why not? Oh, you want an actual answer.

I get tired of seeing people so frazzled in the weeks leading up to Christmas that it seemingly sucks all the joy out of their lives. Surely the Nativity of our Lord transcends the practiced art of re-gifting and fake greenery. I'm also passionate about popping the perfection myth. As I write in the introduction:

Our faith is a gift, but it isn’t a perfectly wrapped present with exact folds and a precisely tied bow. Fortunately faith isn’t about being neat and tidy. You may burn the Christmas roast, Santa may not bring your child exactly what she wanted, you might even get sick and miss out on the best party of the year. But through it all, God remains.

Many of these essays bring readers into the chaos of my own family life -- you can shatter the notion of the perfect clergy family -- as we struggle to remain spiritually centered amid the frenzy of the holidays. Hopefully this book will make you smile, nod your head in recognition, and help you keep life around the holidays in perspective.

How does this book relate to Lent Madness?

Since I created Lent Madness everything I do relates to Lent Madness. Even eating nachos. Next question?

Oh, fine. The same playfulness and holy irreverence that you'll find in Lent Madness pervades this book. It all gets back to the notion of taking our faith but not ourselves too seriously.

Plus Scott Gunn and the Forward Movement team published it. Or as he recently put it, he "let one slip through the cracks."

Why should the Lent Madness faithful buy your book?

So I can retire to a grotto in Southern Italy. Actually since many people know Jay's cartoons, I'm really hoping people will buy it thinking it's one of his famous calendars. Surprise!

Also, there's no accompanying mug so you get off easy.

To order your copy (and copies for everyone you've ever met), click here. If you don't trust Tim and Scott and you want to first read a sample before shelling out your hard earned money, click here. It's also available on Kindle and Nook and iTunes. (Tim likes to sign copies of e-readers with black Sharpies).