Chapter 4: Growth in the Communion of Churches 4.1 Introduction (1) Growth in communion between Lutheran churches and the Catholic Church is a consequence of their mutual recognition of baptism and their mutual recognition as members of the body of Christ. Nevertheless, since these communities are not in full communion with each other, they are called to growth in communion. This growth in communion expresses the dynamic of baptism created by the Holy Spirit. (2) Growth in communion is a dynamic life in Christ. The Holy Spirit received in baptism not only guides individual believers to deepen their personal communion with Christ but also leads the community of believers to deepen the communion among themselves and among their ecclesial communities. Growth in communion is directly linked to a deepening of faith and to the recognition of that same faith in others. Just as an individual grows in communion with God and in sanctification through use of the means of grace under the impetus of the Holy Spirit, so too do the churches grow in communion when they share the means of grace and acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s gifts in each other’s teaching and practices. This growth in communion is both an intensification of those means of grace within their own community and an intensification of communion between each other as churches. (3) This growth in the communion of churches will be described in two steps. Section 4.2 presents the biblical understanding of growth. It emphasizes the biblical concept of communion that is characterized by partaking in Christ. Therefore, the biblical witness helps to develop further the concept of communion described in Chapter 3, referring to the membership in the body of Christ not only of individuals but also of their faith communities. Section 4.3 describes two crucial aspects of the relationship between church, Eucharist, and ministry in order to show the interconnections between them. The main points of theological consensus provide possibilities to go further in deepening communion. Throughout the whole chapter the Commission wishes to demonstrate that ecumenical dialogue, which deepens our ecclesial communion, gives power to the witness of faith in the world. (4) The church is not a static entity but a body for which growth in communion is an essential element. This chapter argues that prayer, discernment of the fruit of the Spirit in one another’s communities, and shared sacramental life make possible the process of growth in ecclesial communion and the acknowledgement of the ministry that serves them. Sharing in the work of the Spirit enables Lutheran and Catholic churches to grow in communion with each other. The mutual recognition of each other’s baptism and the mutual recognition that we are members of the body of Christ is not the end of a process but is the starting point for growth on the way to full communion.
4.2. The Biblical Witness of Growth in Communion (1) The communion of churches is grounded in their communion with God. “Speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love” (Eph 4: 15f). Growth of the body of Christ is only possible if the members of the body grow in their communion with Christ. Christ offers himself to us in the preaching of the Word of God, in the celebration of the sacraments, and in service to the neighbor. Thus,
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