by John McCormick
MASON CITY, Iowa – Attending church with Sen. Barack Obama here today was a much different experience than one a few weeks ago in a struggling neighborhood in Des Moines.
The congregation of 100 or so here at the First Congregational United Church of Christ was almost entirely white, while the one at Union Missionary Baptist Church was almost completely black.
And so Obama’s low-key approach during a five-minute greeting to the gathering was significantly different than the fiery message he delivered in Des Moines or at other black churches he attends.
From the start, the pastor acknowledged as much, commenting on how the congregation is heavily “northern European,” a group she suggested is more staid in its approach to church music.
As he typically does, Obama first mentioned his home church of Trinity United Church of Christ. But he simply said it was in Chicago, rather than stressing that it was on the city’s South Side as he did in Des Moines.
After rising from his second-row pew, where he was seated next to one of his precinct captains, Obama’s message to the church was that he is trying to apply the values he has learned in church to life on the campaign trail.
“During this holiday season and during this political season, I’m continually reminded that the values that I learned … in church as part of the UCC community, are values that can’t just stay in church, but have to be applied outside of church,” he said. “You don’t have to run for president, in order to make a difference. Certainly those of you here in Iowa who get bombarded with political messages, unfortunately over this holiday season, I hope we are all reminded that all of us have some work to do. This is a moment of celebration of the birth of our savior, but it is also a moment to reflect upon how we can make a contribution to our community.”
The church, which has ties to “The Music Man” creator Meredith Willson, was not full, despite a front-page preview item in the local paper this morning. Numerous congregation members snapped photos of the Illinois Democrat while he spoke.
The appearance was the first stop Sunday, the fourth day of a six-day bus tour through still heavily contested rural parts of Iowa.
Obama spent an hour at the church where a lengthy children’s Christmas program was the main feature. He also tossed a hat and gloves onto a Christmas tree, a church tradition used as a clothing drive.
Rarely lacking self-confidence, Obama predicted he would do well at the toss, although he wrongly suggested he no longer plays basketball.
“I used to play basketball,” he said. “I’m confident in my skills. I think I’m going to be just fine.”
Tossing the items underhanded, he hit the mid-section and nearly top of the tree, although he was standing only about 10 feet away, so it was not exactly from three-point range.
