Plain Faith by Irene Eash

Author:Irene Eash
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2014-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

Attending an Englisch Church

ORA JAY

As we waited on the driveway, I hoped that none of our Amish friends would drive by in their buggies on their way to church and spot us. Our friend’s van pulled up, and we all climbed in. The children scrambled into the back, where our friends had laid down the third seat, and a dozen or more children were packed in. Irene and I sat side by side. She wore her kapp, and I still wore my hat.

The first time we attended a non-Amish church, Irene felt it was too worldly. There were musical instruments. The people didn’t dress Plain, and no one acted as humble as we thought they should. I don’t remember much of the message because I was so concerned about the people around me. Our whole lives we’d been taught to dress Plain and to act humble. Even though I’d never say anything, I wondered how these people could call themselves followers of God. Looking back, we now wonder what the community church members thought of Irene and me showing up in our Amish clothes.

On the outside, Irene and I appeared like any other Amish couple. I still wore my beard, but no mustache. But something was changing inside. After a while I let my mustache grow in and I trimmed my beard. My Amish friends were horrified. They could tell we were getting farther and farther from their ways. Many of them didn’t realize that the tradition of not wearing a mustache didn’t start until World War II, when the mustache was connected with military service. So many of my Amish family and friends think tradition is connected to spiritual things.

Soon letters started arriving from relatives back east: “We hear this . . . we hear that.” People from the church visited to talk to us too. They sat down, uneasy, and the reprimands came. “You’re not doing what you were taught.” Their words struck my heart.

Everyone was watching us, judging us, but no one was listening to our hearts. We knew that if you acted friendly and dressed Plain you’d be approved of. It had been ingrained in us that how you present yourself is how your heart is. It seemed that if we kept our outside appearance looking good, then all would be fine.

We wanted to be accepted by our peers, and so we did our best to do what we should to gain their approval. We attended the Amish church and listened. But the biggest struggle was listening to the sermon. Every time someone would start talking about the rules, following our ancestors, or anything like that, we felt as if spiritual bondage was being placed upon the shoulders of those in our community.

When Amish friends stopped by, we would talk about gardens, and logging, and the weather, but I could tell they were uneasy, though I acted as if I didn’t notice. Then, at the last minute before they left, the words of reprimand would come.

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