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Still trying to figure out what this “Lent Madness” madness is all about? Go to this news story from Boston to learn all about it! And be sure to vote Today: Just click here!
If you are 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? Join the Rev. Vicki Mouradian as she leads Team All Saints through Lenten Madness.
Based loosely on the wildly popular NCAA basketball tournament, Lent Madness pits 32 saints against one another in a single-elimination bracket as they compete for the coveted Golden Halo. But it is more than that: Lent Madness is really an online devotional tool 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 2012, Schenk partnered with the Forward Movement (publications include 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.
How to play: on the weekdays of Lent (beginning on Thursday, March 6) information is posted at www.lentmadness.org about two different saints, and then participants VOTE ONLINE to determine who goes on to the next round. Each pairing remains open for 24 hours as people read about and then vote for their favorite saint. 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 winner is awarded the 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 Lent Madness offers quotes and quirks, explores legends, and even moves into the area of saintly kitsch. It’s fun, it’s informative, and it’s the saintly smack down!
Saintly Scorecards (25, suggested donation $1) have already been ordered and will be available before Lent on the Information Table after services on the patio along with a participant’s sign-up sheet. More score cards will be ordered if sign-ups exceed 25. 
A poster tracking the weekly updates will also be displayed on the patio for participants to track the daily winners. On Sunday, April 27 – a week after Easter, participants will gather to toast the Golden Halo winner!
Questions: Speak to Rev. Vicki at church, contact her by email: vicki@asbts.org or call her at church (805) 969-4771 ext. 110.
