The Christian Perspective

President Obama and his family attended St. John’s Episcopal

Church today, a rare appearance for the President who said earlier this year that his family has decided to not join a church because they are disruptive.

The Chicago Sun-Times says this visit is his sixth in D.C. since taking office. The church visit comes after the Pew Forum and others released polls that suggested that at least 18 percent of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim.

The White House released the following pool report about today’s church visit.

The first family left the White House on foot this morning for the 9am choral holy eucharist service and sermon at St John’s Church Lafayette Square.

The Obamas walked out of the residence at 8.49am and crossed the park to the nearby Episcopal church.

The president was wearing a dark suit and held Sasha Obama’s hand. She was wearing a blue dress and cream cardigan. Michelle and Malia Obama were wearing cream-colored dresses. (Check photos for accuracy of descriptions. It’s sunny and pool was at a distance.)

The service sheet doesn’t indicate what the sermon is on but the gospel is Luke 16:1-13Luke 16:1-13
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 ¹ And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. ² And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. ³ Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. ⁴ I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. ⁵ So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? ⁶ And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. measures: the word Batus in the original containeth nine gallons three quarts ⁷ Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. measures: the word here interpreted a measure in the original containeth about fourteen bushels and two quarts ⁸ And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. ⁹ And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. mammon: or, riches ¹⁰ He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? mammon: or, riches ¹² And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? ¹³ No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  

WP-Bible plugin, which ends ‘You cannot serve God and wealth.’

Update: The White House also released another pool report:

The sermon also included some reflections on the story as an example of how “Jesus has a sense of humor… he also likes to shock us” and the extent to which “everyone has cut a corner or two.”

Revd. Leon said that for him, an example was accepting a good citizenship award and $50 from the DAR in Rome, Georgia, when he was graduating high school there. “Now the problem was, I wasn’t a citizen,” he said, prompting laughter from the congregation.

Revd. Leon also referenced “The Help”, which he said he’d just finished reading, as an instance where three women in the 1960s south rise above what is expected of them by breaking the rules.

All four members of the family took communion when they went up to the altar.

Sitting with the first family was Joshua Dubois, head of the White House faith and neighborhood partnerships office.

POTUS appeared to share a joke with the rector while leaving the church.

Clothing clarification: First lady was wearing a white dress with flowered pattern and light-colored jacket over it. Malia Obama was wearing a blue dress with flowered pattern and light-colored jacket over it.

Filed under: Barack Obama