House Amish

House Amish

He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples.

Acts 17:24

My kids always know when company is coming because of the frenzy of housecleaning that takes place. The toys get picked up. The floor is swept. The pile of laundry on the couch moves to a bed, and the bedroom door is closed. I can’t imagine how I’d respond if instead of just a few friends coming by, my guests were everyone from my local church.

Most Old Order Amish do not meet in special buildings. Instead, they worship together in their homes or barns. (For this reason they are often called House Amish.) These congregations follow the Scripture that declares that God does not dwell in temples made with human hands. It’s also possible that they are following the traditions of their Anabaptist ancestors who found it safer to gather and pray in the privacy of their homes than to meet in public and draw the attention of religious authorities.

Each Amish family takes turn hosting a church service during the year. Amish homes are usually built so they can accommodate a large gathering of people. Women sit on the kitchen side, men on the living room side. Congregations don’t own a building, but they do own common property—tables and chairs and benches. Wagons transport these to the home where the service is held. After the service, legs are attached to the benches to form tables, and the host family serves a simple meal.

Amish congregations don’t fight over the color for the new church carpet or whether the children’s wing needs to be painted. Their pooled money goes to provide for the needs of the members.

True followers of God know that Sunday worship doesn’t have to happen at a specific place; instead, it’s an attitude of the heart. Praise God that He doesn’t reside in man-made temples. He’s with us wherever we gather to worship Him.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I’ve been more focused on the meeting space than on the One I’m joining others to meet. I know You are with me wherever I go. Help me to appreciate that more.