To Urge Church of Christ to Stay and Do Her Duty

Official Workbook overture source text

5-24 
To Urge Church of Christ to Stay and Do Her Duty 
WHEREAS, God commands, “Remember the Sabbath day, to 
keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8); and 
WHEREAS, Our Lord and Savior proclaims, “Man shall not live 
by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of 
God” (Matt. 4:4); and 
WHEREAS, The apostle Peter declares, “We must obey God 
rather than men” (Acts 5:29); and 
WHEREAS, The Scriptures admonish Christians to “consider how 
to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet 
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and 
all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24–25); and 
W
HEREAS, Christian liberty should not be determined by 
someone else’s conscience (1 Cor. 10:29); and 
WHEREAS, The Large Catechism teaches that the Sacrament of 
the Altar is essential to the Christian faith, stating “A great number 
of people who hear the gospel, now that the pope’s nonsense has 
been abolished and we are freed from his compulsion and 
commands, let a year, or two, three, or more years go by without 
receiving the sacrament, as if they were such strong Christians that 
they have no need of it. Others let themselves be kept and deterred 
from it because we have taught that none should go unless they feel 
a hunger and thirst impelling them to it. Still others pretend that it 
is a matter of liberty, not of necessity, and that it is enough if they 
simply believe. Thus the great majority go so far that they become 
quite barbarous and ultimately despise both t he sacrament and 
God’s Word” (LC V 40 –41 [Kolb/Wengert];  cf. AC VII; XXIV; 
LCMS, A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri 
Synod [adopted 1932]); and 
WHEREAS, During the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, responses to 
the COVID- 19 pandemic included the cancellation of public, 
communal, in -person worship services by congregations, pastors, 
and affiliated educational institutions; and