Right-click to download PDF version

Ask The Amish is a section of the Remnant’s Walk with reprint articles and letters from the Amish community from a publication called “Family Life”, which started back in 1967. Some original authors are listed in the publication, some are not. If there is an author listed, they would be listed at the end of the article with an original publishing date. Some Amish chose not to put their names on articles they write.

In praise of singing: A feed salesman stopped in at the Amos Yoder farm. Before leaving, the salesman started asking questions about the plain people’s faith and beliefs.

“Do you use an organ or piano in your worship?

“No, we don’t have any musical instruments in our congregation,” Amos answered. “Oh, I see. You just clap your hands and stomp your feet.”

“No, we sing without a beat.”

“Do you harmonize, singing in tenor and bass?” “No.”

“How about quartet singing?” “No, we sing in unison of voice.”

“That’s interesting. I guess you just sing old gospel hymns like Amazing Grace, and The Old Rugged Cross.”

“No, the songs we sing were written two or three centuries ago by people who were persecuted, imprisoned, and martyred for their faith. We sing them in slow tunes that have been handed down from generation to generation.”

Historically, it has been said that the slow singing originated with the Anabaptist Christians. They would sing to their death while being martyred for their faith. In mockery, the people would dance to their singing.

Because of this the Anabaptists started singing slow tunes.

Singing that worships and praises Elohim and spiritually edifies people doesn’t have to be sung in four parts, harmonized, or have a musical background. When things are added to our singing, there is a danger of putting more emphasis on the voices and music rather than feeling the message and inspiration that the words contain.

Romans 12:2 tells us we are not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. A lot of Christian music is more conformed to the pleasure of the world than to the sanctity of worship to Elohim. This should be applied to our whole life, which would certainly include our mode of singing.

(Orva Hochstetler, 2-79)

A Waste?

“A public school teacher said a few years ago to an Amish father, “Mr. Troyer, do you realize that your son, Bennie, has an exceptional mind? He always gets straight A’s without even working. You should certainly see that he goes to high school and college. It would be a shame, a terrible shame if he didn’t.” The Amish father shook his head. The school teacher shook his too, though for a different reason. He went home, muttering to himself, “What a terrible waste. All that talent, and all he will ever amount to is just an old-fashioned farmer, sweating in the field, tilling the soil with his hands like a common peasant, when he might be a doctor, or a dentist. Who knows maybe even an artist or a poet?”

Bennie’s father thought to himself. A waste? Yes, Bennie might get on well in the world. He might well reach fame, wealth, and pleasure. But what if he lost his soul? Would that not be the greatest waste of all? (3-75)

Hired Girls-Scarred

It was a peaceful day outside, as peaceful as the hearts of those who partook of the Lord’s Supper. The ministers’ words were inspiring, and a blessing to all listening ears. I kept looking at the stern expressions of these folks in our small community. A few silent tears escaped my eyes, and I felt a heavy heart.

My heart was made worse two weeks ago when I was punished at a council meeting, but it didn’t start there. It didn’t even start two years ago. In fact, it goes back much farther. In our family I was second in line. My parents never had a lot, but we never went to bed hungry, or wore patched clothes to church. They tried to teach me right from wrong, and I am thankful to Elohim for my Amish heritage.

I started working at an early age. My first job for non-Amish people was at the tender, vulnerable age of 13. My parents didn’t realize the years of heartache I would live through by letting me have a better paying job in the world. I have an outgoing personality, which makes it easier for me to accept different people. I had little or no problem adjusting to the outside world I was working in.

For two solid years, I was gone from Monday morning until Friday evening. I had every convenience imaginable. In no time, I could control every switch, and knew how to push every button on the TV. Of course, I had evenings free, and I soon had my favorite TV shows. I could recognize a radio station by hearing the DJ’s voice. I learned most of the songs and often sang along. I read newspapers and books of all kinds. I adapted to their views and ideas. Without realizing it, I was living 2 different lives.

Now, I’m 28, and I realize that my many years working outside have been somewhat of an exception. I’ve been employed by the family of an air force pilot, a policeman, doctors, and even a professional football player, plus other more common people. I’ve been acquainted with just as many different religions and attended church with most of them. I’ve had encouragement to go into nursing, dental assistance, secretarial, and other types of work from all well-meaning people who always told me I had too much intelligence to waste on housecleaning or babysitting.

I began joining church at 16 and was baptized at 17. I really have tried to live up to the rules and regulations of the communities that I have lived in. In spite of this, there {seemed to be many} times when I was making confessions in church for misdeeds. Now, I’m beginning to see or understand that no one is doing anything to be cruel. But, for the church to be pure, it must remove any leaven of evil.

I am the one who must change, but after all this time, it seems impossible. How can I change the inside of me to be the Amish person I should be? How can I undo and erase all the wrong influence of all those years?

I prayed to be like the girl down the road who gets up at 5:00 am and milks 7 or 8 cows, and doesn’t have to be away from home day after day. I just hope more parents realize the dangers of letting their young girls go out, away from home, and under the influence of the world. Believe me, it’s not worth the money.

All I can say is that it’s a miracle that I am still Amish. I’m not sure I can stay in my beloved community. Elohim knows I want to stay, but after all those years in the world, my best may not be good enough. I’m at the crossroads of my life, and I don’t know which way to turn. The scars will always be with me. I will suffer the effects for the rest of my life.

If my letter can help just one parent realize the danger in working outside in the world, if I can just save one girl from all the heartache I’ve been through, this letter will have been well worth my time. (M.B, Ohio)

Welcome To The Club

Every community is full of fences, high ones and low ones, tight ones and loose ones. It seems like parents and ministers are repairing or building new ones all the time. All one has to do to belong to the club is just find out what fences your local congregation and parents have put up, then crowd those fences and encourage others to do the same.

Jonas became interested in the crowd-the-fence club before he was very old. Of course, at home he didn’t have many fences to crowd; his parents just let him do as he wanted and didn’t build many fences. The ministers felt the influence of the radio harmful, so they put a fence around it. Finally, he broke through the fence entirely, and bought a radio of his own. It gave him ideas and taught dirty words and suggestive tunes with which to express them.

Now that he had the radio fence crossed, Jonas started crowding the fence of bad companionship. He sought out the kind of friends that could talk the language he learned on the radio. The horse and buggy fence didn’t stop him long. When Jonas was 18, he rattled home one evening with a secondhand car. Now Jonas could roar through fences {break rules} at 80 miles an hour. He could go where he wanted to and he did.

He remained faithful as an active fence-crowder his whole life. Right to the last, he worked at gathering fresh members and introducing them to the club. It was too bad that he had a wreck one Sunday morning at three o’clock, when he drove out into the path of a truck on a busy highway. The police found two empty beer bottles smashed beside his crushed body.

So, now you have your invitation to join the club. But don’t think you have to crowd the fence as far as Jonas to be a member. It wouldn’t be good for the club if all the members cursed and drank and tore around in a car. The club needs you just as much as it needs the Jonas kind. If we all stick together, we’ll all go to the same place. And Jonas will be there to greet you (Luke 16:9). “Enjoy yourself, youth. Do what your heart desires, but know that Elohim will judge you.” (Eccles 11:9)  (2-69)