Free The Amish Way by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, David L. Weaver-Zercher

bishops. . . . The bishops and ministers do not make the Ordnung , nor do they draw the line; they only attempt to hold the line.” 9
     
    “Holding the line” reveals a good deal about Amish spirituality. Theologically, the Ordnung is rooted in a belief that God created an orderly natural world and that human life is best lived in harmony with and in submission to God’s will. To discern this sort of orderly life, the Amish rely on scripture and tradition as wise guides. Noted Amish minister Joseph F. Beiler points to Jesus’ parable of the wise man who built his house on rock (Matthew 7:24-27) to explain the purpose of the Ordnung . The house on a solid foundation survived the storms, Jesus said, while the one built on sand collapsed. Both houses initially looked alike, but time proved otherwise.
     
    For Beiler, history reveals which foundations the church can trust, and he cautions against carelessly discarding proven tradition. “Over the centuries this [Amish] house of God has stood the storms of persecution,” he points out. Other denominations “use the same Bible faithfully; they have hymnbooks, creeds, the best devotional materials ever available at any time since the beginning,” but many have not endured. “There must be another element that played a role in the house that stands,” Beiler concludes. He believes that this missing element was a patient respect for tradition, one that refused to grant new ideas superiority over those of the past.
     
    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.”
     

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.
     
    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
     
    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.
     

A Twenty-Minute Hymn
     
    To modern ears, Amish singing seems agonizingly slow. The Amish sing in unison, in German, in a style that