The Ordnung is a set of rules for Amish, Old Order Mennonite and Conservative Mennonite living. Ordnung is the German word for order, discipline, rule, arrangement, organization, or system. Because the Amish have no central church government, each assembly is autonomous and is its own governing authority. Thus, every local church maintains an individual set of rules, adhering to its own Ordnung, which may vary from district to district as each community administers its own guidelines. These rules are largely unwritten, yet they define the very essence of Amish identity.^[1]^[2]Conservative Mennonites refer to Ordnung by the English terms 'discipline' or 'standard' and are usually written.

Piety Ffxiv
Piety Meaning

The Amish blueprint for expected behavior, called the Ordnung, regulates private, public, and ceremonial life. Ordnung does not translate readily into English. Sometimes rendered as ordinance or discipline, the Ordnung is best thought of as an ordering of the whole way of life ... a code of conduct which the church maintains by tradition rather than by systematic or explicit rules. A member noted: The order is not written down. The people just know it, that's all. Rather than a packet of rules to memorize, the Ordnung is the understood behavior by which the Amish are expected to live. In the same way that the rules of grammar are learned by children, so the Ordnung, the grammar of order, is learned by Amish youth. The Ordnung evolved gradually over the decades as the church sought to strike a delicate balance between tradition and change. Specific details of the Ordnung vary across church districts and settlements.

Purpose[edit]

Anabaptists, such as the Amish, believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible.^[3] Thus the Ordnung is intended to ensure that church members live according to the biblical Word of God. The Ordnung is a set of behavioral rules, and all members within a church agree to have their lives ordered by that code. Each person is expected to live simple lives devoted to God, to family, and to the community, based upon God's laws.^[3]

Outsiders may consider the Ordnung as legalistic, thereby resulting in harsh consequences when broken. But to the Amish, the Ordnung provides a strong sense of group identity; all of its rules are supported by scripture, meaning that any outside persecution is considered as the natural result of Christian discipleship. The “world”, with its grasping to gather possessions, is seen as in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus.^[4] The Ordnung creates boundaries for the Amish, much like a children's schoolyard fence. Remaining within the enclosure allows them freedom, but to cross the fence would mean worldly danger.^[5]^{[page needed]}

In Garry Schmidt's book, Early Anabaptist Spirituality, he indicates that a person who has learned to live within a respectful Ordnung was appreciating the value of freedom of heart, peace of mind, and clear conscience. Such a person had more freedom, more liberty, and more privilege than those outside the church.

Piety synonyms, piety pronunciation, piety translation, English dictionary definition of piety. The state or quality of being. Piety definition: 1. Strong belief in a religion that is shown in the way someone lives 2. Strong belief in a. Piety definition, reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations: a prayer full of piety. Piety is the sixth of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. Like all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, piety is granted to those who are in a state of grace. As, in the words of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church ( para. 1831 ), the other gifts of the Holy Spirit 'complete and perfect the virtues of those.

Some of the most common Ordnung rules are: separation from the world, hard work, a woman's submission to her husband, mode of dress, and refusal to buy insurance. Outsiders often think of the Ordnung in terms of restrictions (e.g., no electrical power lines, no telephone in the home, no personal ownership of automobiles). However, many of the Ordnung guidelines are for the purpose of guarding a person's character. The Ordnung attempts to prevent pride, envy, vanity, laziness, dishonesty, etc. Therefore, the foundations of the Amish life are: an unassuming character, the love of friends and family, and respect for the community.

The purpose of the Ordnung is to guide Amish behavior into being more Christ-like, thus defining who they are. It intends that they be separate and different from the world. The world often exhibits the human tendency of self-exaltation, and the Ordnung provides a way for the Amish to refrain from such behavior. Anything viewed as disruptive to their society, such as personal power, wealth, and status, are funneled through the Ordnung into the social order of love and brotherhood. Disobedience to these lifestyle regulations is punished by discipline initiated by the church leaders. One of the more severe actions that the Amish bishop can mete out is Shunning (Meidung).

An Amish minister says of the Ordnung:A respected Ordnung generates peace, love, contentment, equality, and unity. It creates a desire for togetherness and fellowship. It binds marriages, it strengthens family ties to live together, to work together, to worship together and to commune secluded from the world.

— Donald B. Kraybill, The Riddle of Amish Culture, p.98

Types[edit]

Two types of Ordnung must be distinguished.

The special conference decisions throughout history, from the 16th century onward.
The contemporary rules defined by each church district.^[6]^[7]

The first are printed rules, the second are generally verbal and are universally understood by the local members. All rules guide the Amish believer in the application and practice of godly principles.

Both types clarify what is considered worldly and sinful. To be worldly is to be lost. Any rule that is not directly supported by biblical references will be justified through reasoning as to why violating it would cause the believer to turn worldly.

Separation from the world means to be different from the world, and the congregation must agree on how they are to be different. This is accomplished through the Ordnung. Two times each year the members come together (Ordnungsgemee) and express their unity before they partake in communion. Their concurrence on the Ordnung implies complete satisfaction with it. The agreement brings peace among members, and peace with God. If there is not group unity, then the Lord’s Supper is not observed.

Obedience is a close associate to Ordnung, because it is a symbol informing the body of believers as to whether a member loves the church or does not. There is no middle ground.

Gelassenheit[edit]

An important part of Amish life is Gelassenheit (German pronunciation: [ɡəˈlas.ən.haɪ̯t]), yieldedness, letting be, or submission to the will of God (in modern German approximately: composure, tranquility, serenity). This concept derives from the Bible when Jesus said, 'not my will but thine be done,'^[8] thereby making individuality, selfishness, and pride, abhorrent; see humility. 'He submits to Christ, loses his own will, and yields (Gelassenheit) himself in all areas.'^[9] Serving others and submitting to God, therefore, permeates all aspects of Amish life. A person’s personality must be modest, reserved, calm, and quiet. The values which must be apparent in a believer’s actions are submission, obedience, humility and simplicity. Gelassenheit should be the overriding aspect for every person within the Amish community, and it must be viewable through actions and possessions.^[10] Lamentations 3:26 'quietly wait,' 'in the Froschauer [German] Bible reads 'in Gelassenheit' (instead of quietly) – one probable Biblical reference that helped to establish this important 'Anabaptist term.'^[11]

The Ordnung is used to produce Gelassenheit, which is to be shown via a yielding of spirit to the traditions. The Amish glance back into the past and examine their traditions, treasuring them. The past is always the main resource for coping with the present. An Amish businessman may look forward to plan for new markets for his products; however, he never loses sight of the past and its precious legacy. To give yourself under the church means to yield, to submit. Modern culture's aggressive individualism sharply contrasts with the Amish gelassenheit. Through

Piety &amp; Power PDF Free Download

Piety & Power PDF Free Download