I need to go to church,
have failed to time after time —
“next week” which becomes
seldom, almost never.
I need to go to church,
it’s the right thing to do.
I was raised in church,
have lived in church, forever
until now. The rules say,
“It’s Sunday. Go to church.”

What if church were not
an obligation? What if the need
was to be with my God,
with his people, with my kind?
What if obligation
became invitatioin?