President Obama spent the final hours before his formal swearing-in ceremony Sunday attending a church service celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The First Family arrived about 30 minutes before the start of the 10 a.m. service at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church at 1518 M Street, Northwest. Vice President Biden arrived in a separate motorcade with his wife, Jill, a few minutes later.
The line to enter the church for the service stretched down the block, while well-wishers from all over the United States gathered on the sidewalk to try and catch a glimpse of the President as he passed in his motorcade.
Founded in 1838, Metropolitan is known as "the National Cathedral of African Methodism." President Obama attended a multi-faith service at the church prior to his first inauguration in 2009. Former President Clinton held the official pre-Inaugural prayer services at Metropolitan before both of his inaugurations, in 1993 and 1997.
Following the service, President Obama was scheduled to return to the White House to be formally sworn in to his second term by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts shortly before noon. Vice President Biden was sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a brief ceremony at the Naval Observatory in Northwest Washington earlier Sunday morning.