This is a time for silence…, to remember what Jesus has done on the cross. This is time to calm down all emotions… and busy doing…. to follow the way to the cross. This the time to forgive and to forget all heartsick, scare and painful mind, to have  true-reconciliation with myself, others and also with God. This Passion season let us meditate what we have done and later we will see… God has risen yes indeed God is risen… (Batak Language: “Kristus Nunga Hehe…, Olo Tutu Nunga hehe Kristus”). When I wake up in the morning, I see the sunshine smiles at me while saying: “Go and tell others the greatest love of Jesus, cause you are loved!”

 
Selamat Paskah buat kita semua (happy Easter for all of you my friends…Horas… in love and pray; Benny Sinaga

I know that the world celebrate Valentine’s day every on 14 Feb. maybe this is too late but I want to share this experience to you all.

Valentine’s Day

There are many stories about Valentine’s Day. But this is a phenomenon that almost the parts of the world celebrate Valentine’s Day every year. Some countries in Asia, take the meaning of Valentine’s Day as the day to show love among people especially to the beloved one, to the boyfriend or girlfriend. Usually the young people do love this moment. They will buy a good present or gift to show love. So there are many shops sell the good things as a present on the Valentine’s day 14 February, are like chocolate, pink or red rose, Teddy Bear, love pillow etc. In Hong Kong you can see all pink color and red color in every corner of the center of the market, street and every where. People in Hong Kong celebrate this moment is so special. In Indonesia also people celebrate this event, in some church the youth celebrate it with some program by reading a story of St. Valentino who died as martyr. Read the rest of this entry →

Dust Wednesday

(Indonesia: Hari Rabu Abu)

We are HKBP as Lutheran never celebrates “Dust Day” or “Dust Wednesday”. But I do really interest in a celebration of Lutheran calendar which is called “Dust Day” and this celebration I experience when I was in Hong Kong. This celebration reminds me about the nature of human being who created by God form dust. So one day in one sermon in my Seminary in Indonesia I preach about this Dust Day to them. Here you are my sermon.

Genesis 3:19: “In the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread till you return to the ground for out of it you were taken; you are dust and to dust you shall return!” (NRSV)

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

When I read this text, I remember about one thing that I ever experienced in the past. It is about yearly church celebration in a Lutheran church which is called “Ash Day!” I think this celebration is never be done in our church HKBP. “Ash day” is a celebration to remember that human being is dust. Adam is from dust. In that celebration, as a symbol, they took dust and mixed with oil and then one by one, the congregation came forward and received the blessing from the Pastor while saying: “you are dust and to dust you shall return!” or “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return!” and marked a cross on the forehead of the congregation with the dusted oil. This celebration was so touching to me because, it teaches me about the nature of human being who were taken from dust and shall return into dust.

Read the rest of this entry →