DECEMBER 2005 David: I’m speaking with Michelle “Morria” Houser, founder of Shadow of the Cross, Inc. (click here) which is listed on the Local Groups (click here) and Links (click here) pages. It is my hope to acquaint more people with the awesome and incredible ministries that I have had the privilege to interact with. Please tell us a little about your ministry. Morria: Shadow of the Cross, Inc. was founded on March 9th, 2002 as The Chalice Ministry, and in June of 2004 we officially changed our name to Shadow of the Cross. It is our goal to "to live the Truth, to educate with love, to minimize misconceptions, to provide peace of mind." We are a Christian Underground Alliance committed to awareness, fellowship, and ministry in the underground community and beyond. We are in ministry to all those who are hurting, outcast, misunderstood and rejected. We are providing a place of gathering; a shelter from the storm of life; a place that will accept you for who you are, not what you can't be. Shadow Cross's outreach includes: The Antioch Projects, BBF Scholarship Fund, and our latest, the Shadow Gatherings. As well, we have a club and training center in development in Coventry, UK. The Antioch Box Project seeks to provide the needed supplies for our sub-culture missionaries and others. Included in this box are tracts, a Bible, and other ministry needs (often dependent on the missionaries needs) David: Please tell us more about The Antioch Projects and the BBF Scholarship Fund? Morria: Well, the Antioch Project began as a way to get school supplies to lower class subculture youth in our area. From there it has grown to include the Book Bags of Learning, Antioch Box (for our missionaries), and the Corinth Box, which aids new believers. The Blossom B. Fitzpatrick Scholarships—of which the Coats for College are a part—was started in memory of my Grandmother, a blessed woman of God who went home to the Lord this past year. She was in her 40’s when she returned to college, and was top of her class fulfilling her childhood dream to become an RN. She is inspiration to many returning to school, as she herself had not finished high school. As the funds grow, we are hoping to see the opportunity for scholarships grow too. David: Where is your ministry based? Morria: We are based in Wichita, KS. Every Saturday around 6pm we gather locally for music, fellowship, snacks, and a good time. We are based just outside the abortion capital of the world... with alot of at-risk and subculture youth and young adults around here... many of them hurting badly. David: If I’m in the Wichita area and wish to attend, how may I get more information? Morria: You could visit our web site at shaddowcross.com or email me. You can also get more information about us at Shadow Gathering (click here) and at ShaddowX (click here). Also, if you go to The Chalice (click here) you can read the old site. David: Here’s a silly question, what’s new? Morria: OK... big news... Shadow Cross Ministry is getting all our incorporation stuff together. Here is the problem; we need $695 to pay for all the forms being done for us. We are unsure when looking like we will have the money needed to get our not-for-profit/tax exempt status up but prayerfully, by the end 2006 (which will be a God send) as we most likely will get between $1000-$5000 from a grant (cant be used on housing or lands, but it can be to aid the youth/young adults) So pray for us in that. Just if we know we have your support praying us through this.... we will be so blessed. After this gets done, we can get grants to get the 2 buildings for $75,000 that we started eyeing this month (close to the church we originally wanted, but better buildings = alot less money and work). Getting the house should not be a problem, as we have a couple willing to hold it until we get the funds. David: I’ve noticed a quotation after almost every email that I’ve received from you. Morria: Yes, it's, "Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise; Thou mine inheritance now and always!" ~ Be Thou my Vision David: That is lovely! How did you first see it and what does it mean to you? Morria: Well, it is from the Irish song, "Be Thou my Vision," that was first written down in the 700’s A.D. I first noticed it while looking at a hymnal when I was about 16. From that time on, it meant the world to me, as the song is a prayer to God from my heart. As to why I picked that line? Leading ministry is no way to get rich, and even in the temptation of men’s praises, God is my inheritance always and forever. David: I’ve noticed on your website that you provide many opportunities for people to receive ministry. Morria: We give out almost everything that comes in—except for a small savings through the Antioch Box program. We gave school supplies and clothing this year, provided two coats for college students, and also started having Shadow Gatherings in three countries. I would love to do more, but I am self-employed doing home, yard, and dog sitting, as well as computer tech stuff. I am also enrolled in a two-year college program that when I finish I will have an Associate Degree in Christian Ministry. David: I think it’s awesome that you are continuing your formal education. My own philosophy is that we never “arrive” in terms of our education. In formal and informal ways, I wish everyone committed themselves to advanced degrees and study. There are things we never knew that we never knew still waiting for discovery in each of our lives. Education opens each of us to that potential. Morria: That is so true. I was home-schooled from second grade through 12th, and still continue alot of home study as well as formal education. Reading and studying opens windows to the world that allow us to sore! David: If people would like to donate to your ministry, how can they do that? Morria: Through PayPal.com you may donate using shaddow_cross@yahoo.com (please format XX.XX without the dollar symbol. Ex: 56.00) or by sending it to: Shadow of the Cross, Inc. David: If people donate, is there a tax benefit? Morria: By late 2006, we should be totally tax-exempt. Once we have tax-exempt status there would be a tax benefit, if that is what a particular donor wants. David: I read some interesting articles on your old website. In one article, you made some unique observations about the history of the original Goths. Morria: The Goths of old were a people feared in their day as much or more than their neighbors—the Celts. These Goths defeated Rome and took over the city thus ending the empire. They were among the first to have the Bible in their native tongue, thus making the Bible the first book translated into any German language, and it was from a Gothic Bible of the 6th century that almost all of our modern type is based. Gutenberg used the same print for his printing press. David: Do you see similarities in ancient and contemporary Goth? Morria: Like the modern/post-modern Goth, the Goths of old stood out from the mainstream Roman cultures of their day. Back then, they were known for wearing bright, vivid clothing, something totally uncivilized in those days. Is it not true that many people look down on Goths today because we dress so darkly? Being looked down upon by others has always been something that the Goths have faced. Back then, the Goths were quick to embrace Christianity as their own because it spoke to their culture. David: In what ways did Christianity speak to their culture? Morria: Christianity spoke to them, first of all, because it answered their questions of life and what happens after death. It opened doorways of education for all their people. As they settled and grew in Christianity, we came to know most of their people as Germans—not Goths. So misunderstanding must have been quieted over time. Most of all, it opened the doors to the Bible coming to us in English too. David: Is there a lesson here on how contemporary Christianity can speak to Goth today? Morria: Ministering to Goth is not unlike ministering to any unchurched population of our time. We live in a post-modern age. To understand how to minister in the post-modern world, we must first know the basics of the culture. Post-moderns, for the most part, think that there is no Truth with a capital “T.” If something is functional, it is okay, but if it is creative then it is prized. Holistic and authentic lifestyles are a must. These things present both challenges and blessings to Christianity as they cause us to return to roots in early Christianity for methods that work today. David: Jesus said, “I would that ye were hot or cold for if you are lukewarm I will spew thee from my mouth.” I’ve always appreciated faith—passionate faith even—when it is misdirected. At least it indicates a definite desire and hunger for spiritual things. The indifferent are truly dead. Morria: Goth, for the most part, is a spiritually active and hungry culture, but we must be willing to work within the culture and understand the strengths and weaknesses therein if we are to impact it with the Gospel. David: So we must first seek to understand before we can be understood. What else should we do? Morria: We must create an atmosphere of belonging. We will lose these people if we don’t. We have to accept that they won’t fit our “good Christian” mold and we can’t force them to. Everyone is different with a unique calling, but they have to feel as if they belong before they can discover this. As we engage them in the community, we must realize they are hurting people. As such, there are deep wounds to face. We must remember; this is the very kind of people Jesus came to help, and that He too was the suffering Messiah. We must also be ready for questions because they will ask the hard ones. We have to be honest if we don’t know the answer and ensure them that they are good questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you don’t know the answers. David: Ritual and symbol is also generally valued especially by those with occult or pagan backgrounds. Morria: To a culture drawn to the mystics and paganism, we must offer a better way, not losing the Mystery that is salvation. In this way, they can explore the faith both in the Word and in the symbolism. David: As we engage a culture, it helps to know where that culture has been. I found some interesting observations about the history of contemporary Goth on your site. Morria: I believe the Gothic subculture had three starts, a rebellion to disco, a birth in the art community, and from punk music. David: Most see Goth as arising from the punks. Where the punks were social activist, even anarchists, the Goths were their more introspective sisters and brothers. Morria: Punk influence is certainly there, but with disco, instead of the wild, bright colored disco clothing, those in the movement would wear dark colored or black clothing. Gothic music had its beginnings in the mid-70s, and by 1978 Siouxsie and the Banshees had released their first single. Then Bauhaus released their first single in 1979. The statement is often made that Sioux was the one who coined the term "gothic" when she mentioned it was the new direction the band was taking. David: What about the fashion scene in early Goth? Morria: From the beginning, most Goths were and are very individualistic in their styles and most would not want to be copied. Much of the fashion is drawn from Medieval and Victorian styles with modern adaptations. As well, Goth and Punk have had close ties through the years and both styles often influence the other. David: Okay, so how many times have you been asked that age-old question: Why black? Well, in your opinion, why black? Morria: The major statement of this sub-culture is; the world is dying... thus the dark clothing. Goths see the hypocrisy of people who have totally horrid lives, yet when they see friends and family say, “Everything is well, I am so blessed.” when in truth life is a living nightmare. They see the fact that life is more than sucking life out of others for your own good as you climb the corporate ladder. They understand, well, the need to die to those attitudes. David: Many Christian Goths feel like outsiders in the church as well as in the gothic community. How do you see it? Morria: As the sub-culture has grown, there have been an increasing number of Christian Goths. At first, this brought much concern in traditional churches (and often still does), but as people become more aware that Goth is a sub-culture not a Satan worshiping religion, there are more "normal" Christians who are accepting Christian Goths with open arms. David: What stands in the way of Christian/Goth relations? Morria: When people cling to a stereotype and refuse to be swayed from it even by an encounter with a real person that gets in the way. David: When Christians come face-to-face with a Goth and in that moment, decide that the Goth is either unreachable or not worth the effort because of the preconceived ideas they may hold about Goth, everybody loses. Morria: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, not against any person or group of people, but against powers and principalities, spiritual forces with evil intent. Where people are concerned—all people and every people group—our calling is to love, to demonstrate God’s love through hospitality and service. David: Morria, thank you so much for opening your heart to us. Morria: It was my honor; I look forward to talking with you again. Fare thee well, and God be with you. |