It was my Amish neighbor’s turn to host church services last Sunday. What is “Amish church” like? Well, first a van shows up to drop off enough benches and chairs for a small army all the guests. And let me tell you, there are always a lot of guests… Fortunately, my neighbor has a big-ass house. Actually they all do for the most part. Having a lot of kids means you need a lot of space…
Then the guests start filtering in shortly thereafter, between 8:00 am-8:30 am… And I seriously don’t know how they stack all those buggy horses in a barn together. Like 20 or more of them!
Many arrive on foot, since most live within walking distance.
Some bring a dish or two of food to share after the services, when they provide everyone a lunch meal. I wonder what they sit around and gossip about after the service? And I wonder what this lone man is carrying under his arm? Maybe his wife stayed home with some sick kids and he was on his own this time… Do you think its oatmeal cookies? Those are my favorite.
Church, among the Amish, is held every other Sunday and it is always held at someone’s house, not a physical, separate church facility. Way to save money – right? They take turns in the rotation and a different family hosts the service each time. How cool is that? It would force me to actually clean my house once in a while, if I were Amish…
The men and young boys always stand around outside before the service smoking cigarettes and chatting, while the girls and women stay inside preparing the after-service lunch meal.
I’m so glad I’m not an Amish girl. I’d much rather be hanging out with the horses and farm animals (and not cleaning my house)… But on a serious note – my neighbors are really cool and I adore them, respect their ways, and find their lifestyle fascinating. ~A
