The Amish society is a loosely organized assembly. Each community, assembly or group has a deacon, preacher and bishop. That is it. There is nothing higher in organizational or governing authority. There is no other chain of command within their community or communities. There is no higher authority than that of the individual. You will see why later in this article. I made a special trip to visit one of my builders. And I found that this particular builder was a preacher. He is a very likable and affable person and the others tell me that he is one powerful and dynamic preacher. When I got there, we were to go to look at a new product and what a wonderful product it is, but that again is another narrative. I asked him if I could ask him some questions about his religion after telling him that I am just very curious and want to learn and mean absolutely no disrespect. He agreed and I told him what my practicing religion was and spoke a bit about it. Then, I asked him the big question. Could my wife and I attend a church service? Let me tell you, I was very nervous about this question.
He answered, “Yes”. I was relieved, ecstatic and very pleased. He then told me that I would have to sit on a hard bench for 3 hours and I relented. He then told me that they would get me a chair and I did thank him.
The Amish do not have churches or places of worship. They believe that you worship God everywhere and in everything that you do. You are always praising the Lord.
The Amish have church service at members of that community’s homes. And they do not have church services every Sunday and the frequency depends on the individual community. It is usually every other Sunday is a meeting. Once a year, I believe around November is communion. Yes, once per year and I read that this is a very special event within the church.
After the service is a big meal and social gatherings. I was just talking to one of my builders and he is having the service this week and there is a lot of preparation. The biggest thing is the cleaning that has to be done. Everything must be spotless. Let me put it to you this way for you to understand. It is like having 30 – 50 of your mother in laws coming over for dinner. I think you got the message.
My preacher friend then told me something about the church which is the main theme of this article.
If there is a need for a change in the rules or in the way they do things, the subject is brought up to a deacon, preacher or bishop. These members go to something like a conclave or convention and I do not know the right word, where they pray and discuss the issue for a possible recommendation or simply voted out.
Let us say that the item was for pneumatic tires on the buggies rather than the round hard wheels they currently utilize. The issue would be debated at this council and hopefully with a solution or recommendation. With this recommendation in hand and voted by the council by a vote of 100%, it would be taken back to the community. Each member of the community has one vote. If one (1) person votes against the recommendation, the proposal is dropped. Period, No discussion, nothing. It is done, over. Period.
This to me was a revelation. Then as time passed until I wrote this piece, I realized that this is why the Amish are so slow to change. And to mention within these communities, there are areas that are more liberal and others that are more conservative, but that is for another discussion.
After meditating on this, I still find it difficult to hold that one person can stop progress, but this is the way of the Amish people. I am not here to judge. I rather encourage everyone to respect their ways and their religion.
The answer is:
LEAVE THEM ALONE.
No Cashiers!
Observing has been one of my hobbies and a past business related function. What does this mean? I watch people and what they do. I observe everything especially the small things. It is the collection of small things that make the big things to happen. Over the course of many years of doing this – it becomes quite natural for me to see things that others maybe would not. I do not mean to sound that I am better than others, it is because I trained myself to observe and I am self taught. It takes a lot of practice and discipline, and can be quite fun. Anyway the point is that after almost 3 years of traveling in and out of Amish land, one would expect it to be come routine or mundane. I was going to use the word boring, but I thought that it was too strong of a word. Yes, parts of the trip are boring, mundane and potential for falling asleep and that is the initial trip into “Amish land”. The four lane highways turns into a high speed two lanes into finally; into the two lane narrow farm roads that the Amish community lives, works and prays. You need to be very careful when driving on these roads and observe at the same time or perhaps it best for one not to drive – have someone else do the driving – while you observe or gawk. I share with you some of the things I observed on this latest trip. There was a horse alone in a corner of a fences pasture, standing there with an erection. A Boy was going out from his house with a can under his arm late afternoon. I know that he was going to the berry patch for berries for supper. The grocery was out in the field – no cashier. Amish father with his son with a 2 horse team cutting the field for feed for the horses. They are making their gas for their mode of transportation. No pump and no cashier. I wonder if this is GreeN??? You know what I mean. Boys and girls are running barefoot on gravel and dirt roads. Yes, no shoes, we need to do something about this. How about everyone taking off their shoes and socks. No shoe stores and no cashiers. Small miniature pony pulling a small surrey type cart with two very young pretty Amish girls, just having fun? What, no TV?, no Radio? Pure scandal! Need to do something about this. Everyone, for the next week turn off your radios and televisions. What? No advertising to buy something and therefore, no cashiers. Saw several very large draft horses standing in the pasture. I think they look better than a car and a lot cheaper and less to fill up and therefore, no cashiers. I bet, on my next trip, I will look for more ways to see more “no cahiers”. What is “no cashiers”? It is living off of the land and living with the land and living with your neighbors and sharing, but always, living with your God and making no excuses for what you are and what you do. It also means that sometimes money is not necessary to live, exist, love and pray. Dave N.
What do I see? My personal adventure in Amish land
This is a journey that I have taken for many a reason. I am not a writer, but at this stage in life I find great joy, satisfaction, accomplishment, just love what I now do. For 43 years I worked in the corporate world in many areas; production management, national sales, product innovations and in my last area, changing companies from bankruptcy to viable entities. The last is very difficult, time consuming, pressure ridden and at times involves a very hostile environment. But the vision is to save the company, for it is a giver of jobs, community responsibility and other factors. Unfortunately, some drastic measures had to be taken and difficult decisions made and implemented for the visionary salvation of the “company”. Now the pace is different and I had to make some adjustments from this world. So, I read, I ask my Amish builders and distributors questions and I try to be respectful. Well, you can imagine that at times, my prior life will creep out. It is not intentional, but with 43 years of hard corporate life, the change is very dramatic and one I want to change towards. I can never be as the Amish, for I am not good enough. But my plan is to try at least to just try to be a third as good as them. I want to share with you my experiences. If I disrespect anyone or anyone’s feelings, culture, or community, it is not out of spite, but ignorance, and I apologize beforehand, because, I truly believe I have a great, wonderful and powerful story to tell; being from that of an “Outsider” These will be written in segments with different topics and I truly hope you will join me in my travels to Amish land and observe this marvelous microcosm.
Dave N.
CBS The Outsiders
There are some things that I really do not understand! Why is it, for the sake of television, does a huge company such as CBS persecute the quiet and reclusive Amish people? It is because they can and want to? Or, are they jealous? Or, do they hate their religion? Or, is it for the ratings? Or, is it part of a larger agenda? I question why? Do they do this? I happen to work with them and visit with them. They are a very warm, kind and generous people who work and live for their God, family and community. I happened to come upon this segment of “The Outsides” and as I started to watch, and had to quit watching their evilmentary. What is an evilmentary? It is somebody that takes a perfectly good person, organization, nation, country or religion and turns it into something that it is not! Unlike many of our religions, baptism is practiced at a very early age. The Amish or Anabaptist, believe that baptism is the commitment and the beginning of their life to the service of God. It is not an organized or formal religion as many of us practice or know. It hierarchy is very small consisting of the communities member with a deacon, preacher and a bishop. Each is elected by its community upon the death of one. There is also no prerequisite for any title. There is no formal training nor do you have to be a deacon before you are a bishop. What ever you are elect to by lots, you remain until death and they take these positions with a great deal of seriousness. In other words, it is not a position that anyone aspires to, but is commended to by the rules of lots as written in the bible. The children coming of age are asked to leave the household to find what the outside word is like and to live in for a period of time and that time is determined by that child. They are welcomed back at anytime. If they choose to become baptized, it is a life commitment. It is a vow they make with themselves and God. And if after ones baptism, they reject their ways, they are shunned by their family and community. If they choose to remain on the outside, it is accepted, but the parents may not enjoy it because, it brings upon them a cloud of “failure”. Failure is not the right word, but it is the closed I can come for a word of explanation. They are not ridiculed for it by the community, but it is self imposed. The child that has chosen the life of the outside is not shunned, but welcomed back with family and friends of the community and do at times visit in family functions. Why do I know this? Because I have a neighbor, whose father did not join his parent’s church through baptism. He is still welcomed at family events. It was rather disturbing to me the way they take one or two individuals and characterize the many. This is our “investigative reporters?” who would destroy people because they capitalize on a dissenter. Shame be it on CBS and other media like them. Shame be it on CBS for them for hurting those that wish to be left alone to live for their God. Shame be it on CBS for taking a poor unknowing person and turning them from their faith and family for advertising money. I just wonder if this is not a small part of a much larger conspiracy or not? These are my personal feelings that I would not have commented on if I did not have a special relationship. They would prefer to take it on the other cheek. I prefer not to, at times. They need to be left alone and be sheltered from us. Leave them be to do what they do best: Love their God, Love their families, Love their community and friends and create wonderful master crafted objects for us to enjoy. As another note: The current buzz word is “Green”. The Amish are the masters of “Green”. We can learn from them!
Question I received from Dan on June 16th 2008-06-22 Received magazine stand. Looks good, solid, with great craftsmanship! The Amish do this without the use of power tools (?!).
Answer:
No, they do not. They use what you might call small hand tools. They do not have line electricity, but they use large diesel generators to run their equipment in their workshop only. They use tools that you can purchase at Sears or any Big Box stores and some have some larger cutoff saws to cut 4 x 8 sheets of wood. They do use some air tools, but there is still a great deal of hand sanding. They are very fussy about the ending finish work and when the small air powered hand sanders stop - the hand sanding starts and a lot of hand sanding is required in the finishing. They have special shops that finish the product and there they use some air powered sanding, but when a coat of stain is added and dried - hand sanding in the only way possible. A lot of the women do the sanding! Staining is almost an art. One does not just go and start staining. They use apprentices, but they are not called that and have no formal certification. Certification is by the Master Builder and if you are not good enough, you will never progress. Sometimes there are two stains applied with hand sanding between coats and then sanding before the final clear coat. These finishing shops are dust controlled and they have big fans and air handlers to remove this dust - all the power coming from the diesel generator. When work for the day is finished, the generator is turned off and the quiet comes again. I visit somebody at least every week and see their shops and them working. I wish that I could take pictures, but that is forbidden by their rules. I am talking with them to see if they will allow some pictures in the future. This is a very long process and will take a long time to develop.
If you have other questions, Please send me your question. I am currently studying the Amish Culture and Way of Life, because I work with them and do not want to disrespect them and find them just marvelous people. Their life is having a very positive affect my my personal life and I am enjoying the journey immensely.
Ferman is my special Amish friend
For years I have worked within the RV industry and at one plant, I had the pleasure of making a special friend, Ferman. I will not give neither his last name, nor the company or plant for his privacy. Over the years, I got to know Ferman, and spoke with him often at his station of final finish of this plant. We discussed everything and he shared with me the culture, religion and way of life of the Amish people. One story I wish to share. My wife loves horses and Ferman came with his family to a company picnic in his horse and buggy. We shared great times at the picnic and at the end; my wife wanted a ride in the buggy. I ask her, why she wanted to ride in a buggy, when we drove up in a 1976 Corvette. There is no way of pacifying this situation except to ask Ferman to take her for a ride. Ferman being the gentleman he is, took my wife on a nice long horse and buggy ride. In return, I took Ferman for a ride in the Corvette. I told Ferman to strap himself in and when I knew he was secure we coasted to the main highway and I turned the car on the main road and stopped. My foot on the brake and I was revving the engine to high rpm’s, and then I let loose of the brake. The car’s tires were smoking and Ferman was pushed back into the seat with one hand holding his straw hat and the other the seat. We accelerated to a high speed and then I brake suddenly and then back to high speed. We turned around and repeated the drive. As were approaching the picnic site, Ferman ask me how fast we were going and I told him we were into three figures. His eyes just lit up. I think Ferman was glad to get out of the car. He then went to my wife and said that he would take her for a ride anytime, because he thought that he got the best end of this deal. And to be sure, both of us did and was a great time. For weeks, the story went around the plant of Ferman telling of his ride and experience in the Corvette. But as always, Ferman was set with his lifestyle. He enjoyed the experience but preferred his life style and his way of life. This is something that we shared and I feel today that both of us and including my wife are better for it. I do feel bad, that I am no longer involved with that company and I no longer see Ferman, but he still is a very special and always to be a close friend and when I see him again, it will be just like we saw each other yesterday.
Forever friends we shall be
Welcome to the Amish Blog
This are has been constructed for tidbits and other cultural items of the Amish Community.
Stories to tell of my experiences and that of others with an insite as to how the Amish live.
