Obamas make rare trip to church while in Hawaii

KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii — President Barack Obama and his family took a break from their Hawaiian vacation to attend Sunday church services, a rare occurrence for a president who prefers to worship in private.

The first family arrived at a chapel at Marine Corps Base Hawaii mid-morning for a multi-denominational service. The Obamas were greeted by about 100 clapping parishioners and a band playing "Joy to the World" as they were led to their seats in the front row.

1. Top politics news
   1. Immigration bill clears hurdle with approval by Senate committee

      Updated 84 minutes ago 5/22/2013 12:15:27 AM +00:00 A sweeping bill to overhaul the nation's immigration system cleared its first major hurdle late Tuesday night, with the 18-member committee charged with completing a first round of legislative edits voting to advance the amended bill to the full Senate.

   2. Leahy withholds amendment to include LGBT couples in immigration reform
   3. IRS official to invoke Fifth Amendment at hearing
   4. With high-tech visa compromise, immigration reform proponents win GOP ally
   5. A new disaster sparks an old debate on federal aid
   6. Senators demand answers from IRS officials but get few new answers
   7. The GOP's focus deficit
   8. Oklahoma disaster puts politics into perspective
2. More politics
   1. Obama's 2nd year
      

      AP
   2. Political Cartoons
   3. 
      BLTWY: Political news, photos and gossip

In his sermon, chaplain Steve Moses asked worshippers to recommit to God in the new year. He also joked that the reason God put him through a heart surgery was so he wouldn't suffer a heart attack while preaching before the president.

Obama was the first worshipper to take communion, dipping the wafer in wine before placing it in his mouth.

1. Other political news of note
   1. Immigration bill clears hurdle with approval by Senate committee

      Updated 84 minutes ago 5/22/2013 12:15:27 AM +00:00 A sweeping bill to overhaul the nation's immigration system cleared its first major hurdle late Tuesday night, with the 18-member committee charged with completing a first round of legislative edits voting to advance the amended bill to the full Senate.

   2. Leahy withholds amendment to include LGBT couples in immigration reform
   3. IRS official to invoke Fifth Amendment at hearing
   4. With high-tech visa compromise, immigration reform proponents win GOP ally
   5. A new disaster sparks an old debate on federal aid

Though Obama speaks frequently about his Christian faith, his family rarely attends church services in Washington. The White House says the president hasn't joined a parish because his appearances would be disruptive to the rest of the congregation, though he does attend private services when he spends weekends at Camp David, the presidential retreat.

Obama last attended church in September, shortly after a poll was released indicating that a majority of Americans had doubts about the president's religious beliefs.

During the hourlong service, Obama and the other churchgoers sang along to a youth band playing Christmas carols such as "Silent Night" and "Oh Holy Night."

After church, Obama went golfing on the Marine base despite sporadic light rain.

The president and Mrs. Obama also extended wishes to people celebrating Kwanzaa. "The seven principles of Kwanzaa — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith — are some of the very values that make us Americans," the Obamas said in a statement issued by the White House.