I am neither Amish nor was I raised around any Amish communities. Nevertheless, I find your insight and spiritual transformation applicable to anyone, regardless if one is Amish, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Muslim, or associated with any other religion affiliation.

I would only add one word:Submissive, for the fact that a woman is born a woman.

The world is full of religious people, but the world is not full of spiritual individuals. These are rare and only a handful at best. Congratulations, Ira, in my opinion, you are in the right track.

You mention what you hope your readers get out of your blog, so I thought I would share a little of what I have gotten and why it is important to me.

Twenty years ago, my family left a progressive (Mennonite Church USA) church in Lancaster where we had attended since the original settlement. We moved to another state where we attend Conservative Conference Mennonite church with “Amish Mennonite” roots. I guess I used to think those were labels that described nothing more than history or origins. Now, because of a big church conflict, I am seeing that those roots effect how we see God and do church. Some of your descriptions of things like pastors as keepers or defenders of the faith and how you have described some Amish families as moving to another community to avoid conflict have been instrumental in helping the transition committee that I am on understand our church conflict and how we view God and church.

Your story of how you became a Christian has many universal features that all of us who know Christ and follow Him have experienced. Your story also has unique features based on Anabaptist beliefs and history and Amish culture. You know that there are huge differences in all the branches of the Anabaptist family, but there are also some cultural features that seem universal across the branches, like the stoicism that comes from living faith instead of talking about it etc.

Thanks for your lovely blog and the lessons I have learned from your writing in relating to the particular Anabaptist group I am a part of and the kind of Christ-follower I am.

Ira, I commend you for presenting both the good and bad. I pray for your inspiration.

Biased opinions – Minorities steal. Americans are greedy capitalists. According to “Family Life” all pretty girls are selfish, conceited etc. etc. -all ugly ones are oh so virtuous. Get the picture. Please don’t put all Amish people in one basket.

Then again it is your blog. There are Amish ministers who stress peace, freedom, spiritual birth through faith and do not preach about obedience to Ordnung or staying Amish.

As a kid growing up Amish I was not allowed to cry….it was considered shameful…..weak. I learn early on not to cry or show emotions. This is maybe not every amish person’s experience but for a large number of you……you know what I’m talking about.

We are emotional beings and it’s okay to feel, recognize, and express our emotions. Laugh when you need to, cry when you need to, be sad or happy….and most of all just be you and be present. That was a tough thing for me to learn how to do…..and I’m learning everyday.

God has been so merciful to me……I thank Him everyday for showing me His love and for making me complete in Christ Jesus.

Mark 10:29 & 30 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s.

But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

To be very true. Thank you, Jesus.

My story is different, as I was mostly satisfied in the little box, obedient, “good boy”, loved the praises I got……until later, because of my “good boy” status, I struggled for years with assurance of salvation…then finally recommitted my life to Christ.

God is faithful!!

The fact that you cherish so many of your Amish memories and don’t “bash” how you were raised says a lot about you and shows your level of respect for them. Thanks for that great read, I know that was personal and like you say, “It is what it is”, and that, my friend, is so true. Have a good weekend ~

“Joint heirs with Christ in our Father’s kingdom,” a TRUTH worth celebrating…

I pondered on my own journey and that of my parents who left the Amish church when I was 7. I believe you’ve caught the emotional turmoil that goes with those who leave–being shunned at the dinner table of an Amish wedding, or being told that you are going to hell if you leave, etc. But by God’s grace, my father rose above that and always had an assurance of salvation that went beyond the “grossa hofnug” and just hoping you’d make it if you kept the rules and regulations. And in reading your story, I’ve come to appreciate more deeply my parents allowing me to go a different denominational direction than they had chosen. Perhaps their own experience gave them that grace. Thanks for your story.

Well said and so beautiful to hear.

I believe most of us have a journey to relate. I won’t clutter your blog with mine. I just want to say to those who would like to “belong” to this culture, or any other, tell me how we indicate our dismissal of newcomers? I am very distressed about this and plead guilty as charged. Also, I beg your forgiveness.

I have known a few people who have come from the “outside” and succeeded to “Amishize” though there aren’t many. A few more who are successfully absorbed into the Beachy and Conservative Mennonite culture.

Some years ago I was installing pews in a church in south Chicago, and was asked by the pastor about our “denominational affiliation” Of course, I told him we were Mennonite. The next day, about mid morning, a stranger showed up at the church we were working at, and was immediately introduced to me. I don’t remember his name, but his appearance I will never forget: He was HUGE, about 350 pounds, at least 6 ft tall, and black! Yep, you got it, he is a Negro.
I was told this fine specimen was the pastor of the local Mennonite Church.
Talk about culture shock! I stuttered a little bit and wanted to say something like, “But this can’t be the same kind of Mennonite,” but realized this would be inappropriate under the circumstances. Then he began a process which put my heart at ease. He began to try the Mennonite Game on me, “connecting the dots” or “freundshaft exploration” We did not make connections but then he did something which left no doubt he was a likeminded Mennonite! He invited us to stay at his house for the duration of our stay in Chicago! I declined his invitation some way, but I am still persuaded we would have had wonderful time at his house.

Is it fair and theologically correct to diagnose our relationship with God as we would one with a mortal?

If I say I love a woman, would I not be anxious to spend time with her? Would we not exchange ideas? Would I not ask her to explain things to me which no one else can? Would I not answer if she asked me where and why. Would I not look for ways to bring her happiness? Would I not wish to know her in more and more ways? If I became aware some habit of mine diminishes her happiness, would I not hasten to cease and desist? If she called me from another room with some exciting discovery, would I not go promptly and marvel with her? If she works long hours for the sole purpose of blessing me with another adornment for my life, room, or person, would I not thank her from the bottom of my heart?

If she loves me, won’t she listen and respond if I speak and vice versa?

Now place the Creator of the Universe in place of the woman, and ask all the same questions. He has left a wish list of gifts He desires from those who love Him. He has a large document to tell us what He is like, and how He wants to relate to us.

Perhaps this is sorta simplistic, but seems reasonable to me.

How much does Jesus forgive? Just enough to a certain point? And then you’ve emptied the basket?

How far does God want us to go? Or suffer?

I don’t know. Still wrestling with us being called out as separated by one group myself. I am glad another group still loves us and doesn’t see us as separated. I want my family to all go to heaven.

Would Jesus hang around with stodgy Pharisees? Or drunken lepers? Or reformed drunken Pharisees?

Not sure what else to say. Still searching for the perfect answer that will help me get back to my place of peace I found when I struck gold and got God 11 years ago and seemed to have drifted from 10 months ago. I won’t completely let God go. I want God to have me. And I think perhaps that God does still have me. And perhaps our messups or long paths do help us to be compassionate to those who don’t or can’t easily reach. Its easy to be judgmental and so full of “wisdom” .. But really if all you do is sit around and bicker about a comma, aren’t we missing the boat that just floated by?

Forgive the randomness…Should start journaling again regularly.

Keep it up.

If you don’t mind, I’ll make a couple comments. You mention it is “not ideal.” But there is no church or fellowship that is ideal this side of heaven. Even the fulness of the millennium, with that great River from Ezekiel’s Temple, has salt marshes still around. “Ideal” is an idol. It seems to me that, like a vineyard (or garden) what God is training us to do here is provide places for growth.

Probably, that is what you meant in your questions to that young father, that the community does not allow for enough growth. It’s a question I ponder (not being OO, but having grown up in Lancaster County, which in a large measure partakes of the same mentality, and now considering myself a conservative Christian) – what about my children? What if they listen to other music, what if they wear different clothes than I approve of? What if they do not hold to the doctrines I’m convinced of? Etc.

I’m now becoming of age to be among the “fathers” (I am shocked to discover.) But am still growing. I’ve lived long enough to see for myself that changes are inevitable. I also am beginning to perceive that Christ is big enough to make Himself known (through faithful, heart-devoted people) in the midst of every “world” that is created, as the ages roll along. I think God even rejoices in winds of change, and the occasional devastating storms of this life, because it gives the opportunity for we ourselves to grow. After all, He is making us into His image, not asking us to keep the talent preserved by burying it until He comes.

So my hope lies in the heart of my children. Not trusting their heart, of course. They could go to church all their life and remain unchanged and dead as a doornail spiritually. But that if their heart can be wed to God early, and they can see and hear the mighty acts of God (through the Bible, and in present day situations), this is the Rock that will bring them standing through the storms.

Ira, your story makes me reflect and wonder how often your father was exercised in prayer for you.

Forgive me long-windedness. I am perhaps more emotional than you (but I doubt it).

The point I was leading up to is this. In each age, in each culture (and sub-culture) a healthy expression of following Christ and His Word has a community expression. While I realize this is at present mixed among the Amish, they nevertheless have one legitimate expression of a way to live a life of community and discipleship. I haven’t lived there, so I can’t speak to the inner realities. But I can see a cohesive community with many Biblical values. My prayer, as I was home and drove among the fields to an ordination in an Amish-Mennonite church, was that they would again recoup the faith of their fathers, the true and holy zeal for an on fire personal relationship with Christ, determined to change the world as they “love not their lives to death.”

As far as them drawing me to their bosom and making me feel part of larger Amish clan, unless your born and grew up in Amish ways, than your relative Amish blood is as thin as ice water and kin or not their is no brotherly love for outsiders.

I had no personal choice when I was I was infant baby, whether I was raised English or Amish, and my Amish biological father did not out of righteousness or loyalties make claim to me as his heir offspring.

Now that I have found out on my own, I am at least half Amish by an Amish male relative of the Schlabach line of Mennonite/ Amish leaders, my previous close ties with my Amish seem to be strained by the harsh reality impurity of my existence to religious code.

I feel more like some one with leprosy approaching my Amish relations, than prodigal returning son I falsely hoped I be warmly welcomed, rather I never got a inheritance from my step fathers nor as it looks will I be treated with kindness Amish show their own.

Not to be mean, so what does it mean to be be born Amish, if the Amish do not reach hand out to those in outside world.

Maybe too, it’s because I can identify (somewhat) of also having to make the choice of walking a different path from that of my parents and the emotions that go with it.

Thank you for sharing this part of your life.

Praise God that we can be joint heirs with Christ!

You sir, are not “unemotional,” you feel and see everything broadly and deeply, as evidenced above. We should all be careful not to confuse emotions and histrionics.

Bear