Ever seen a Rhinocerous? How would you describe it? I read a 5 year old's description - she called it a "Battle Unicorn" and that's absolutley brilliant ... and the reason we should let 5 year olds name new species!
Some things are hard to describe - take the local church for example - since there's nothing like it on earth - it's not easy to describe. So to be wholistic - the church needs to be described both institutionally and organically - the bones and flesh. Most people prefer the organic part and shy away from the structural or institutional part. Like a wine glass enables us to enjoy the wine - the institution or structure of church enables the union of relationships to flourish as an embassy of Jesus’ Kingdom to the nations.
Jesus’ Kingdom was unlike other Kingdoms - it had no geographic boundaries - and Jesus said He would build His church - but how? Jesus said He would build His church on people like Peter - who confessed that Jesus was the Messiah. That is Jesus builds His church not on words or on people but on people who put their trust in (or confess) the Word (Jesus) who became flesh. Jesus will build the church on confessors. Jesus then gave the local church the keys to the Kingdom or the authority to continue building the church. Church membership then is about a local church taking specific responsibility for you, and you for a church.
