Obamas Stroll To Church On Sunday Morning (PHOTOS)

Text By NATASHA T. METZLER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and his family attended an hourlong service Sunday morning at a church just across the street from the White House.

Accompanied by his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, Obama strolled across Lafayette Square to attend St. John's Church. Sasha held her father's hand as they crossed the park.

Obama has attended the pale yellow Episcopal church three times previously, as well as other churches in the nation's capital.

A pew nine rows back from the altar at St. John's carries a small brass plaque designating it as "The President's Pew." Church history claims that every president since the nation's fourth chief executive, James Madison, has visited.

Check out pictures from the First Family's Sunday morning:

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Comments

[saami]

12:42 PM on 09/24/2010

Does Malia look a bit like President Obama's mother? I think so. Malia and Sasha both are lovely girls.

[lifepanels]

01:04 PM on 09/27/2010

Yes, and Malia has her dad's flashy smile. I LOVE this family! I smile, myself, every time I see pictures of them!

[EdwardTx]

12:30 PM on 09/23/2010

I am so tired of comments being deleted for no reason whatsoever or not making the cut when hateful remarks seem to get published and remain in comments.

[SonyaInTx]

09:56 AM on 09/23/2010

I love the Obama family, but those children's skirts are too short for church.

[mamapower]

08:58 PM on 10/04/2010

Where you alive in the late 60s and early 70s?

skirt lengths in those days were MUCH shorter.

[SonyaInTx]

10:09 PM on 10/04/2010

Again.....Not for church......too disrespectful.....

[GoDems2012]

08:59 PM on 09/22/2010

Something about this family. Maybe it's the obvious love you see present. It makes me feel better about things. Momentarily..

[brooklyncitizen]

09:30 PM on 09/24/2010

It doesn't extend to the country. THey provide a great example but he is not a good POTUS, just saying his policies do nothing for the middle class.

[lifepanels]

01:06 PM on 09/27/2010

His policies help the middle class.

[sk8queen]

03:23 PM on 10/10/2010

It's up to the Middle Class to help themselves. I get tired of people looking for a "leader" or politician to make their lives better. Barack H. Obama can't do anything for my day-to-day life. I have to do that myself. He can't make me rich, pull jobs from under his hat or put more money in my pockets so that I can buy needless and useless stuff that gives the illusion of prosperity. He is just that -- a president.

[Js420]

07:28 PM on 09/22/2010

Well there's an hour he'll never get back.

[enlightenedgirl]

07:13 PM on 09/22/2010

The Truth is President Obama can't go to One church and he can't go every Sunday.  He has his family's safety to worry about let alone his own.  Talk about a Secret Service nightmare.  We all know the sanctity of the Church does nothing to stop someone with bad intent.

Too bad, they are such a lovely family.  I would love to see them out more.  

[hagagaga]

02:41 PM on 09/22/2010

The people saying he's a Muslim won't be appeased until he becomes a fundamentalist. They definitely wont be appeased by this. The Episcopal Church is among the most liberal denominations in the world.

[judiNJ]

04:57 PM on 09/22/2010

But.... he WAS a member of the UCC (Congregationalist) church as I am and THAT really is a most liberal denomination and has been since The Amistad. My kind of President!

[enlightenedgirl]

07:00 PM on 09/22/2010

who cares?

[iheartnola]

12:24 PM on 09/22/2010

Wow, it's so funny how this man was a UNITED STATES senator and elected president of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA however he is still so "mysterious" to some people. Sarah Palin popped up over night and no one questioned who she really is or how about Christine O'Donnell? Okay if he is a muslim, so what. He has every right to chose who or what he worship. How about reading and learning for yourself instead of being influenced by the Bill O'Reilly's and Rush Limbaughs of the world. These are merely accusations and opinions that have yet to be proven. And even if they are proven to be true, SO WHAT!!!! Are we going to shun someone for not being part of the almighty christian mob?

[Ian Gonsalves]

01:36 AM on 09/23/2010

Most religious people, people who hang on every word of Bill O and Rush, and most republicans in general, are not really into reading and learning for themselves, if they were they would not be interested in those things for very long.

[lifepanels]

01:14 PM on 09/27/2010

"And even if they are proven to be true"

That part of the statement leaves open the door that continues to question something that HAS been proven! Close that door, already!

[zest]

10:25 AM on 09/22/2010

Sadly, attending the Episcopal Church will not satisfy all the nay sayers.

[hagagaga]

02:36 PM on 09/22/2010

You are correct. I was raised in the church and I can tell you for a fact that it is among the most liberal denominations in all of Christianity. Right after 9/11 the rector of the church I attended went around and apologized to everyone who looked Middle Eastern for the prejudice that they would receive because of 9/11.

[brooklyncitizen]

09:32 PM on 09/24/2010

Aha!!!!

[NWBrunette]

10:21 AM on 09/22/2010

Every Sunday between now and the election, the first family goes to church with the press corps.

[Salvador Doggy]

03:45 PM on 09/22/2010

You think he will?

That would be too too obvious. LOL.

[judiNJ]

05:00 PM on 09/22/2010

They have been going in Camp David all along. Too bad he has to prove some weird thing to the folks that are a light in the brain pan.

[DeloresT]

01:35 AM on 09/22/2010

Half of the folks on this site criticizing the Obamas for attending church ( or not ) probably attend "Bedside Baptist Church" every Sunday.

[Mark Twaine]

11:58 PM on 09/21/2010

I thought the Obama's were trying to protect their children's privacy, now, here they are, making a commercial for the Family Research Council!

[Weirdwriter]

01:31 AM on 09/22/2010

They're just goin' to church, chill.

[notwaff]

06:09 PM on 09/21/2010

===================
I'm assuming it was just a timing thing - the day the Obama family are quite visibly attending church, is the day that the church had a guest speaker, Dr. Ziad Asali, M.D., a Muslim and the founder and president of the American Task Force on Palestine.
===================

[ReesieKitty]

03:34 PM on 09/21/2010

I think it is possible that MANY Americans attend church sometimes because they want to seek spiritual guidance, want the comfort of a community or want to ponder theological issues. All of these things are totally valid. If you believe in God, do you think he would not welcome anyone into his church- of any belief or non-belief? We carry our morality and our beliefs within us, no matter where we are. Going to church does not make a person moral or immoral. I think if the President and his family felt like attending, that is what they should do. If they feel like staying home on a Sunday, then they should do that- its not really our business.

[Illinois mom]

06:36 PM on 09/21/2010

Do you feel that way about regular school? Sorry-who is the parent...If you take the time to have your child baptized (your promise to follow thru) you should take the time to bring them to religious education..weekly/2x month...at home. If they didn't proclaim to be Christans and discuss Rev Wright being the Godfather---I wouldn't care. My kid hates shots at the Dr.do I take him for them???Yes..B/c it matters.

[bluto392]

12:05 PM on 09/24/2010

It really isn't your business what religion the President, or anyone else adheres to,or how they practice it.

[Nelle]

03:00 PM on 09/21/2010

Kinda sad that the president has to "prove" he's Christian by going to church. When will we grow up!

[Aesthete]

03:33 PM on 09/21/2010

No matter what the president does or does not do, somebody is always going to gripe and complain. I guess they need a life.

[Weirdwriter]

01:33 AM on 09/22/2010

The Obamas were attending church long before Barack became president. But if they settled on a single place of worship the security concerns would be a major inconvenience for the rest of the congregation.