The President paid a visit to the Episcopalians — and went up for communion:

On Sunday, President Obama and the First Lady — along with daughters Malia and Sasha — attended 9 a.m. church services at Washington’s St. John’s Episcopal Church. It marked the sixth time the president has attended services since being elected into office.

Of late, the president has found his religious beliefs the subject of much discussion and debate. A poll conducted in mid-August found that one in five Americans mistakenly believe that the president is Muslim. Controversy around the president’s comments on the planned Islamic community center and mosque in lower Manhattan served to increase the scrutiny on his religion, and several conservative leaders have weighed in on the subject of Obama’s faith in the intervening weeks.

At the conservative Values Voters Summit in Washington on Saturday, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee addressed the subject, saying, “It certainly would be helpful if [Obama] would show a little love to the people who are unapologetically Christian, and I think there’s some things [like] being part of the National Day of Prayer that would go a long way toward that, and leading the example of attending worship.”

On Sunday, the President appeared to do just that. The first family walked the short distance from the White House across Lafayette Park and over to St John’s. The sermon, delivered by St. John’s rector Rev. Dr. Luis Leon, touched upon the parable of the dishonest steward, from the Book of Luke, according to White House press reports. The reports noted that the pastor understood the reading to be an instruction to “act shrewdly on behalf of God.” Reports said that the sermon advised listeners to make choices about God — and that “the time to act is now.”

More details, from the 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.”

Rev. 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.

Rev. 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.