Initially I felt guilty for attending these churches for, what at the outset seemed to me to be, political reasons. But I grew in the comfort that the real reason I was attending was to get a better understanding of these people and their faith. After all, religion is a core attribute of many people and understanding what people believe gives great insight into the people themselves and what they think about other issues. And, to do a good job as a representative of the people, I needed to understand the people I was to represent. At least that was the theory.
At first, I was nervous, for the very reasons I stated earlier: I was not a part of the congregation, I did not know the rites and rituals, I didn’t want to be the outsider looking in. Church people, however, can be some of the nicest people there are. At each church, I was welcomed, introduced to the various congregants in attendance, invited to worship with them and helped through the orders of service. While I did not necessarily feel at ease, I was comforted by the manner in which I was received.
Over the period of the campaign, I came to know each group of congregants fairly well, was invited to social activities both formally held by the churches, and those held by individuals within the congregations.
