So, let’s take some time to look at the values. We have expressed these values in an intentional way. These statements are not a contrast between what is right and wrong. The things on the right have value – there is a time and a place for them, we just value what is on the left more. Our approach is to ask, “how do we experience more of this?”
Neither are they moral or ethical statements. We do not hold these over other Christians expecting them to be subject to what God has placed in our hearts and directed us to pursue. Romans 14:4 makes it very clear, “Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.” Each of us has to be true to what God has called us into. For us, it is to pursue community with Christians who share these values, and we expect that in this pursuit we will provide a place of healing for those stepping out of faith organizations.
It is true that these values were discovered through our experiences, often painful, inside of faith organizations. That is how all core values are uncovered – pain reveals what is important to us. That is also why self-reflection and self-awareness, when guided by the Holy Spirit, is so powerful. We cannot be authentic if we do not understand who we are and what we value. We are stunted in our spiritual growth towards maturity when the core of who we are remains hidden.
Being in an environment that is misaligned with our core values can be painful, and often is. It feels like there is something wrong, and we look for the source, typically focusing on the behavior of others. In that place, It is easy to carry offense and interpret other’s actions and words through that offense. This happens to both organizational leaders and participants. I learned the hard way that when you share values with your leader it feels like co-laboring; when you do not, every day feels like servitude. That does not, however, excuses sin or abuse by the leaders of an organization. We must prayerfully consider the source of our pain and move with compassion whether we confront or leave for a place we where we are aligned on values.
Because values are so deeply felt in the core of who we are, it can be difficult to articulate them in a meaningful way. It took us years of focus and prayer. If how we expressed these values strikes a chord with you, pray into them. They may be giving expression to a core part of how God made you.
Here is the heart of Simple Community:
Through our experiences we have come to value:
Relationships and Community over Organizations and Hierarchy
Demonstrating Compassion over Experiencing Power
Celebrating all the Gifts over Centering on Teaching
Character over Performance
While there is value in the things on the right, we value the things on the left more.
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