On Monday, January 20, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., All Saints Church will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day with “Let Freedom Ring,” our fourth annual daylong community reading of Dr. King’s speeches, sermons and writings. Texts will be available in English and in Spanish. (NOTE: Though the church is open, offices will be closed on Monday in observance of the MLK holiday).

From All Saints’ rector Mike Kinman:

Like most Americans, I grew up knowing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King by the sound bites.

• “I have a dream.”
• “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.”
• “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

About 18 years ago, a friend gave me “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.” It sat on a shelf for a while, and then, on King’s birthday, I pulled it down and decided I would spend an hour or so reading it.

I opened the book … and didn’t put it down for hours.

A whole new King was opened up to me. One whose love was radical, whose love allowed for anger and even rage. One who railed against capitalism and poverty, Viet Nam and white moderates. A King who was so different from the whitewashed, kum ba yah King that had been sold to me for most of my life.

And so I began a personal tradition, every year on MLK Day, of pulling out that book and spending the day immersing myself in all of his words – not just the sound bites.

When I started at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis eleven years ago, I learned that our pulpit was one of four places in St. Louis where Dr. King had preached. One day, I was mentioning to someone how meaningful it had become to me to spend King’s birthday reading his writings, and out of that conversation came the idea of a daylong, community reading of Dr. King’s speeches, sermons and writings from the very place where he had preached.

“Let Freedom Ring” was born. We used A Testament of Hope and the extensive collection of the King Papers Project at Stanford, contacted the King Center for permission for a public reading, and set up a simple structure. A large book of readings would be at the front of the church – first at the lectern and eventually in the pulpit from where King preached. People would sign up for half-hour shifts to read … but at any time, someone could walk up indicate they want to take over reading, and just take over. We’d ask people to read for no more than 5 minutes if someone was waiting, and if there was a gap, the shift leader would be there to make sure the reading continued. And people came.

Over the past four years, this community reading has become an important annual tradition at All Saints. Please join us for a half hour, for two hours, or for the entire day. Read or simply listen. This year, we will host “Let Freedom Ring” on Monday, January 20, from 9 am – 5 pm,  Readings will be available in Spanish as well as English … and for those who can’t make it down to the church, the whole day will be streamed live online.

I hope you will join me in spreading the word about this event … and coming down for as long as you wish and letting the words of this great man wash over you. Hear more than just the sound bites, and let your life be set on fire.

For more information call 626.796.1172. All Saints Church is located at 132 North Euclid Avenue, Pasadena 91101.