The Faith Behind Amish Home Decorating

Hello from our Amish community! We pray that this letter finds you in good health and spirits in this wonderful month of February.

We have been thankful for God's blessings of warmer-than-seasonal weather lately. These warm days have allowed the Amish families to do some springtime prep work and other outdoor activities. Everyone is thankful they filled their Ice houses a few weeks ago since the ice is gone from all the ponds.

Last week, we told you a little about the Amish tradition of only hanging things in their homes with a useful purpose. This week, we want to tell you more about this part of Amish culture and why it comes from the Bible.

If you have ever been to an Amish home, you would have seen no photographs, paintings, or other pictures displayed. You might wonder why this is and what makes the Amish people decorate their homes differently.

The reason is that the Amish follow the commandment in the Bible that says, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4).

This commandment is a rule and a way of living for the Amish. They believe that making and hanging pictures is a way of worshipping idols and not focusing on God. By avoiding pictures, they keep their hearts and minds on the Lord.

Amish people think that pictures can make them proud, vain, and not appreciate the true beauty of God's creation. They fear pictures can take them away from their worship and lead them to the wrong path. The Amish want to make their homes simple, humble, and close to God by having plain walls.

Also, the Amish shy away from having pictures of animals. They treat the animals that God has given them with kindness and compassion, but they do not want to put them above their place. Instead, they appreciate and cherish the living creatures as part of God's creation without making them idols or objects of excessive admiration.

Instead of pictures, Amish families hang things that have a useful purpose. These may be clocks, calendars, or wall hangings with sayings or verses that mean something to them. These useful things help the Amish keep track of time, plan their daily activities, and do their duties, but also remind them of God's word and the values they live by. Sometimes, these things may have landscape paintings, but the picture is not the main thing; it just goes along with the useful thing.

In addition to making baskets, the Amish families have been busy with farm work and other activities. Here are some of the highlights for the Amish families crafting the items available on the AmishBaskets.com website this week:

The Mast Family

The Mast family had eagerly prepared to host their district's church service at their home last week, but their plans changed when a funeral in the community took precedence. The church leaders agreed to delay the Mast family's hosting and moved the service to this week. This means the district will have two consecutive weeks of church instead of their usual gap. The Mast family had already prepared for the service, so they were ready and hoped nothing would interrupt their hosting this time.

The Yoder Family

Rebecca Yoder's father, who lost his first wife and remarried last year, relocated to Indiana with his new bride. This week, the family held a private auction, a common Amish practice to divide the personal property of a deceased or departing relative among the descendants. The family members bid on his items and paid him the proceeds. This way, his belongings stayed with the family, and he received some financial support for his new life. (We plan to discuss private Amish auctions in future updates.)

The Gingerich Family

This week, the Gingerich family enjoyed some simple pleasures. They marked their youngest son's birthday on Wednesday. They also took advantage of a bargain on apples at the local store and bought four cases. They spent a few hours each day this week making various apple products, such as sauce, butter, and pies. They kept one case of apples in their ice house for future use. On Saturday, they dressed warmly and drove their buggy to visit their cousins in a nearby community. They brought one case of apples as a gift for them.

"Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God."

— Amish Wisdom