The Amish Way (10 page)
Authors: Donald B. Kraybill,Steven M. Nolt,David L. Weaver-Zercher
Beiler’s perspective clarifies how the
Ordnung
relates to the Bible. The Amish do not claim that every—or even most—church regulations can be supported by a specific verse from scripture. They do maintain, however, that each guideline is based on a biblical principle. Thus the
Ordnung
is considered a cluster of time-tested practices that enhance community well-being. And compliance with it signals a member’s desire to live in harmony with others. “Since obedience is a close associate to
Ordnung
,” Beiler explains, “it is a symbol that tells if you care for church or if you don’t care, if you love the church or if you don’t.” Repeatedly snubbing the
Ordnung
is seen as sin, not because its regulations are on par with the Ten Commandments, but because flouting it reveals a spirit of arrogance and self-centeredness. Living by the community’s collective blueprint indicates a patient and humble heart. A church formed by the habits of the
Ordnung
, Beiler concludes, “generates peace, love, contentment, equality and unity.”
Ordnung
relates to the Bible. The Amish do not claim that every—or even most—church regulations can be supported by a specific verse from scripture. They do maintain, however, that each guideline is based on a biblical principle. Thus the
Ordnung
is considered a cluster of time-tested practices that enhance community well-being. And compliance with it signals a member’s desire to live in harmony with others. “Since obedience is a close associate to
Ordnung
,” Beiler explains, “it is a symbol that tells if you care for church or if you don’t care, if you love the church or if you don’t.” Repeatedly snubbing the
Ordnung
is seen as sin, not because its regulations are on par with the Ten Commandments, but because flouting it reveals a spirit of arrogance and self-centeredness. Living by the community’s collective blueprint indicates a patient and humble heart. A church formed by the habits of the
Ordnung
, Beiler concludes, “generates peace, love, contentment, equality and unity.”
Few outsiders see virtue or value in the
Ordnung
. Many Americans conclude that it’s oppressive, because it denies basic rights of self-determination and personal expression.Who would give up the freedom to dress as they like and pursue the profession of their choice?Who would surrender such decisions to tradition or the discernment of a group?
Ordnung
. Many Americans conclude that it’s oppressive, because it denies basic rights of self-determination and personal expression.Who would give up the freedom to dress as they like and pursue the profession of their choice?Who would surrender such decisions to tradition or the discernment of a group?
Some Christians dismiss such rules as sheer legalism. They see the Amish way as a life of grim determination, a graceless exercise in gritting one’s teeth and trying to do the right thing. For these outsiders, following the
Ordnung
demonstrates not faithfulness to Jesus Christ but a futile effort to secure God’s favor. “Enforcing man-made rules in your home is acceptable,” writes one ex-Amish member, “but when you start doing the same in a church it becomes religious legalism [that] subverts and diminishes God’s grace.”
10
Ordnung
demonstrates not faithfulness to Jesus Christ but a futile effort to secure God’s favor. “Enforcing man-made rules in your home is acceptable,” writes one ex-Amish member, “but when you start doing the same in a church it becomes religious legalism [that] subverts and diminishes God’s grace.”
10
Jesse noted, however, that “accepting God’s grace doesn’t mean you can just do as you please.” Most Amish people know that the concept of the
Ordnung
makes little sense to outsiders. “It is only a person who has learned to love . . . a respected church
Ordnung
who can ever fully appreciate its values,” Beiler concedes. “It gives freedom of heart, peace of mind and a clear conscience.”
11
Ordnung
makes little sense to outsiders. “It is only a person who has learned to love . . . a respected church
Ordnung
who can ever fully appreciate its values,” Beiler concedes. “It gives freedom of heart, peace of mind and a clear conscience.”
11
The Amish agree that their approach to faith, like any other one, has its share of potential pitfalls. To their credit, they generally interpret the
Ordnung
with generous flexibility for people with special needs, such as those with health issues or physical challenges.
h
And they are quick to admit that the
Ordnung
can be “overenforced” and thus severed from its spiritual roots. One Amish author warns that “without an inner change of heart,” doing the right things is hypocrisy, merely a “show of holy living . . . so that people will look upon us as good people.”
12
Preacher Beiler agrees: “Church
Ordnung
cannot be lived by the letter alone. It must be lived in Spirit.”
13
Ordnung
with generous flexibility for people with special needs, such as those with health issues or physical challenges.
h
And they are quick to admit that the
Ordnung
can be “overenforced” and thus severed from its spiritual roots. One Amish author warns that “without an inner change of heart,” doing the right things is hypocrisy, merely a “show of holy living . . . so that people will look upon us as good people.”
12
Preacher Beiler agrees: “Church
Ordnung
cannot be lived by the letter alone. It must be lived in Spirit.”
13
Nurturing that spirit—the spiritual roots of the community and of the members who commit themselves to it—is not left to happenstance. A deliberate rhythm of worship, along with annual rituals of confession and renewal, foster Amish faith and faithfulness. To these rhythms and rituals we now turn.
CHAPTER FIVE
Worshiping God
I don’t think anything compares to the sacredness and holiness of our communion service.
—AMISH MOTHER
T
he room is remarkably quiet, considering that more than two hundred people are sitting in a modest-size basement. We feel crowded, packed tightly onto the backless benches with our knees almost touching the bench in front of us. Later we overhear Amish people saying how open and roomy this space felt. It’s clear to us once again that, among the Amish,
we’re
the peculiar ones.
he room is remarkably quiet, considering that more than two hundred people are sitting in a modest-size basement. We feel crowded, packed tightly onto the backless benches with our knees almost touching the bench in front of us. Later we overhear Amish people saying how open and roomy this space felt. It’s clear to us once again that, among the Amish,
we’re
the peculiar ones.
Around 9:00 A.M., without a word of welcome, a middle-aged man calls out a hymn number from his seat, just loud enough for others to hear. Picking up hymnals that had been scattered along the benches, everyone finds the page in the small, black book with
Ausbund
on the spine. The man who announces the hymn is the song leader, but he does not stand in front of the congregation, keep time, or in any way perform. In fact, he sits in the midst of the congregation and simply begins to sing.
i
Ausbund
on the spine. The man who announces the hymn is the song leader, but he does not stand in front of the congregation, keep time, or in any way perform. In fact, he sits in the midst of the congregation and simply begins to sing.
i
The hymn is familiar to everyone—just as familiar as it was to their great-great-grandparents.We listen as the song leader’s voice rises and falls as he slowly draws out the notes for the first syllable. Then the rest of the congregation joins in.
To modern ears, Amish singing seems agonizingly slow. The Amish sing in unison, in German, in a style that professional musicians call melismatic and that outsiders often say sounds like Gregorian chant or Torah chanting. The congregation draws out each syllable, sliding between notes for each one. Because the
Ausbund
contains only words and no music, the melodies pass orally through the generations.
1
“The singing in unison is . . . a form of oneness and a blending together,” says Amish deacon Paul Kline.
2
Ausbund
contains only words and no music, the melodies pass orally through the generations.
1
“The singing in unison is . . . a form of oneness and a blending together,” says Amish deacon Paul Kline.
2
The ethos of the worship service embodies what the Amish call
Gelassenheit
, a word that suggests a profound acceptance of God’s providence and timing. This sense of resignation to God’s will means letting go of things, giving up control, and not striving against the circumstances of life. Outward expressions of humility, patience, and a quiet spirit show that members have yielded themselves to God and to each other. The spirit of
Gelassenheit
brings a sense of contentment and harmony as members worship together.
Gelassenheit
, a word that suggests a profound acceptance of God’s providence and timing. This sense of resignation to God’s will means letting go of things, giving up control, and not striving against the circumstances of life. Outward expressions of humility, patience, and a quiet spirit show that members have yielded themselves to God and to each other. The spirit of
Gelassenheit
brings a sense of contentment and harmony as members worship together.
When the first hymn ends, the song leader doesn’t have to choose the next one, because the second hymn in an Amish service is always the same.This song, known as the
Loblied
(praise hymn), has four stanzas asking God to bless the preachers and make the worshipers receptive to God’s message. In translation the second and third verses include these words:
Loblied
(praise hymn), has four stanzas asking God to bless the preachers and make the worshipers receptive to God’s message. In translation the second and third verses include these words:
Open the mouth of Thy servants, Lord,
And give them wisdom also,
That they may rightly speak Thy Word
Which encourages a devout life.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .That we may become acquainted with Thy Word,
And thus become devout
And live in righteousness,
Taking heed to Thy Word always,
And thus remain undeceived.
3
Depending on local tradition, it may take eighteen to twenty-five minutes to sing the
Loblied
’s four verses. No one is hurried. Even time, bending to the spirit of
Gelassenheit
, is yielded rather than forced.
Loblied
’s four verses. No one is hurried. Even time, bending to the spirit of
Gelassenheit
, is yielded rather than forced.
Worship reflects and reinforces Amish beliefs, and perhaps more than any other community practice, it shapes their affections for God. Although their spirituality is woven into everyday life in various ways, the Amish place a high value on Sunday worship. Each
Gmay
gathers every other Sunday, and all members are expected to attend.
j
A serious illness would be the only excuse for staying home. On the Sundays when their church does not meet (the “off-Sundays”), families have more flexibility. Typically they stay at home and have family devotions. Occasionally they attend the worship services of a neighboring district, adding visitors to most services.
Gmay
gathers every other Sunday, and all members are expected to attend.
j
A serious illness would be the only excuse for staying home. On the Sundays when their church does not meet (the “off-Sundays”), families have more flexibility. Typically they stay at home and have family devotions. Occasionally they attend the worship services of a neighboring district, adding visitors to most services.
Getting a house ready to host more than two hundred guests is no small feat. For the family hosting
Gmay
, preparation begins a month in advance with yard work, housecleaning, preparing food, moving furniture, and arranging benches to accommodate all the guests. Depending on the community, the layout of the house, and the season of the year, the family may arrange to have
Gmay
on the first floor of their home, in their basement, or in their barn or shop. Each district has a “church wagon” or “bench wagon” to transport their benches and hymnbooks from one home to another.The bench wagon may also carry boxes of plates, cups, and eating utensils for the noon meal following the service.
Gmay
, preparation begins a month in advance with yard work, housecleaning, preparing food, moving furniture, and arranging benches to accommodate all the guests. Depending on the community, the layout of the house, and the season of the year, the family may arrange to have
Gmay
on the first floor of their home, in their basement, or in their barn or shop. Each district has a “church wagon” or “bench wagon” to transport their benches and hymnbooks from one home to another.The bench wagon may also carry boxes of plates, cups, and eating utensils for the noon meal following the service.
Rotating
Gmay
from one home to another means that the families in a district will visit each other’s homes about once a year, reinforcing the sense of intimacy within the community. Families look forward to hosting worship. At the same time, getting ready takes a good deal of work, as one teenage girl suggests in this poem she wrote about Saturday cleaning and last-minute preparations.
Gmay
from one home to another means that the families in a district will visit each other’s homes about once a year, reinforcing the sense of intimacy within the community. Families look forward to hosting worship. At the same time, getting ready takes a good deal of work, as one teenage girl suggests in this poem she wrote about Saturday cleaning and last-minute preparations.
Hustling, bustling, running about,
Around the house, in and out.
Wash the woodwork, the windows, the walls,
Sweep the boys’ room and the hall.Fix the water, get the mop by the pump.
It’ll all be done in a hop, skip, and jump.
Now that the cleaning has all come to a stop
We are generously treated with ice cream and pop!We eat the breakfast as fast as we can,
Then wash the dishes and put away the pans.
The folks are a-coming, they’re right on the spot,
For church will start at 9 o’clock!
4
The first buggies arrive early, as close family members come to help with final preparations. Other members begin showing up around 8:00 A.M., and as buggies unload, families slip apart, reconfiguring the
Gmay
by age and gender. Older women gather in one part of the house, young mothers and babies in another, and teenage girls in yet another. The men stand in the barnyard, while the boys act as hostlers, or caretakers of the horses, unhitching them and taking them to the barn for food and water. Young boys follow their fathers and young girls their mothers.
Gmay
by age and gender. Older women gather in one part of the house, young mothers and babies in another, and teenage girls in yet another. The men stand in the barnyard, while the boys act as hostlers, or caretakers of the horses, unhitching them and taking them to the barn for food and water. Young boys follow their fathers and young girls their mothers.
Assembling for worship follows a prescribed routine. The home bishop walks in first, followed by any visiting bishops and ministers, in an order determined by the length of their ordination. After them come the home ministers, followed by the deacon. Next the married men file in by age, down to the youngest one. Meanwhile, the women are also entering through another door, again from oldest to youngest. Each group moves toward its traditional seating area: older men in one section, older women in another, and so on. Young children sit with one of their parents or grandparents. The oldest people may be given folding chairs, but everyone else will spend the next three hours on backless benches.
The teenage boys often enter last, and as nine o’clock approaches, the household host goes outside to tell them it’s time to come in. Sam Stoltzfus, an Amish grandfather, remembers what it was like in his boyhood
Gmay
as he and his friends prepared to enter the service. “We would brush off our trousers, and the big boys would comb their hair,” he recalls, and then they would slowly walk in. “All the boys would always pass the ministers, shake their hands, and then sit down just behind the ministers on three or four long benches. In our district there were approximately forty-five boys, so this took about five minutes.”
5
Gmay
as he and his friends prepared to enter the service. “We would brush off our trousers, and the big boys would comb their hair,” he recalls, and then they would slowly walk in. “All the boys would always pass the ministers, shake their hands, and then sit down just behind the ministers on three or four long benches. In our district there were approximately forty-five boys, so this took about five minutes.”
5
In the meantime everyone has been waiting quietly. Finally the song leader begins the first hymn. “Our seating arrangement and how we go in according to age all is a form of
Gelassenheit
,” Paul Kline explains. “Each one has his place, no one needs to assert himself.”
6
The entrance and seating patterns, determined by age, gender, and rank of office, are similar in all churches, but the specific arrangements vary somewhat depending on the location of the service.
Gelassenheit
,” Paul Kline explains. “Each one has his place, no one needs to assert himself.”
6
The entrance and seating patterns, determined by age, gender, and rank of office, are similar in all churches, but the specific arrangements vary somewhat depending on the location of the service.
As soon as the singing begins, the ordained leaders get up and leave in the same order they entered. They confer in another room, where they begin with a silent prayer. After the prayer, the group decides who will preach the two sermons of the morning. Each leader comes to church knowing that he might be asked to preach, but no one prepares sermon notes in advance. Agreeing at the last minute to preach a lengthy sermon is yet another act of submission, of giving up control.
Sometime during the singing of the
Loblied
, the leaders return to the worship service and resume their places on a bench among the congregation. When the
Loblied
concludes, a preacher rises to deliver the opening sermon, which may last a half hour. Symbolic of his servant status and equality with other members, the preacher stands on the open floor without podium or pulpit.
Loblied
, the leaders return to the worship service and resume their places on a bench among the congregation. When the
Loblied
concludes, a preacher rises to deliver the opening sermon, which may last a half hour. Symbolic of his servant status and equality with other members, the preacher stands on the open floor without podium or pulpit.
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