On January 4, 2018, Polymer Solutions Incorporated released a report titled, “The Top 7 Things We Tested.”[1]  One of the seven, I found most unusual. They tested NASCAR Stadium seats. The stadium seats had to be tested to make sure they could handle a lot of abuse from fans, multiple cleanings, temperature changes, and consistent exposure to ultra-violet light. That’s a lot of tests for a stadium seat! I guess, though, if we want to make sure it’s good, it has to be tested. 

We begin the Lenten journey on the road of testing, too. However, it’s not seats that are being tested. It’s Jesus and us.

Every journey has a beginning, and we begin this one by remembering how Jesus Christ started his earthly ministry. Extraordinary events marked his baptism. The Spirit of God descended on him like a …