Each Amish order is different. Some have church every Sunday, some in homes, and some higher orders use a designated church building.
The Swartzentruber Order of Amish attend church every other Sunday morning - in a settlement home. They rotate homes used. Prior to the Sunday a home is appointed for Gma, the women of the settlement gather to jointly clean the house. And clean they do! Every nook and cranny is scrubbed spotless.
In fact, the hostess is practically neurotic that the other women will find and criticize the dust around her home! I've heard many former-Amish women say they dreaded the weekend of Gma because of the scrutiny from the other women.
Meanwhile, a large wagon is loaded with the wooden, backless Gma benches and hauls them to the designed home . . . or barn.
Want to know more? Since I've so many new readers and subscribers to my blog, I'll refer you the detailed explanation of Gma posted earlier. Read it for a real peek inside Amish Church.
If you're curious how I help those who have left their Amish life, how Amish choose spiritual leaders, what a wedding is like, how they date, buggy rules, or dental practices then get my new book Beyond Buggies and Bonnets: Seven true stories of former Amish, available at Amazon or get Autographed Copies at my blog www.BrendaNixonOnAmish.blogspot.com.
Thanks for reading! Got a comment?
(C)Copyright, 2015. Brenda Nixon
How well I remember getting ready to have Gma in our home. Every nook and corner had to be spotlessly clean. Plus the yard, flowerbeds and garden if it was summertime. We never knew which we liked best, wintertime was less work but we had to cope with boots, snow or mud. Or summer with the extra outdoor work.
ReplyDeleteHow delightful to read about your memories Katie. Thanks for reading and leaving comments!
DeleteAfter reading this excerpt from your book, I definitely am going to get a copy...This is almost a word for word accounting that I have heard on several occasions when I sit with those who have been shunned because of going to Bible study....God bless!
ReplyDeleteGreat! My book, BEYOND BUGGIES AND BONNETS: SEVEN TRUE STORIES OF FORMER AMISH give other detailed insights/descriptions into the stricter Amish orders, helping readers see the diversity in this culture. You can get it either as a download on your Kindle or order the Paperback on Amazon.
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