Michigan’s Other Church of Yahweh
On our ride around Michigan, a helpful local gave us directions to avoid going through Grand Rapids, and we came across this church of the Assembly of Yahweh. I got excited because I thought it was the church of Yahweh some of whose members are in jail for tax evasion. I gather they believe that it is immoral or irreligious to contribute taxes to a government engaged in war, and have been acting on that notion.
Turns out it’s not, the tax objectors are the “Restored Israel of Yahweh”, and this church is part of the “Assemblies of Yahweh” . Yahweh is one of the earlier recorded names of God (?), and apparently both churches hold the “sacred name” as central. Who knew that different two such religions would be active in Michigan. The Assembly of Yahweh still seems pretty exotic, according to wikipedia a mix of Christian and Jewish teachings which holds the old testament as primary (yikes!). Michigan’s a funny state. So much of it is assertively mainstream, small town trailer parkness. What could be more banal than confederate flags in a northern state? I’m reminded though of something from a Joseph Conrad story (“The Typhoon” maybe?) wherein he claimed that “even the most mundane of working men’s lives had their mysterious side”, or something. From gas stations and satellite TV dishes and NASCAR grill covers, somehow springs Yahweh and militias.
