Rev. Joe Cherry - What Moment  Brought Tears To Your Eyes? -  Tell That Story!
Rev. Cherry is  minister at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Cleveland. Before  moving to Cleveland he and his partner the Reverend Denis Paul  lived in the  Central Valley of California, where they both had ministries. Joe was the only  minister serving three counties while there. Joe has been a UU for 19 years and his home church is the First Unitarian Society of Chicago.  He graduated from the Meadeville Lombard Theological School. He also served  at the UU church in Dukinfield, UK. (About 8 miles East of Manchester) for a summer internship.
 Questions for Joe that you'll hear the answers to:
What was your experience in the UK UU Church?

What special project have you worked on?

What is the biggest pain people are expressing when they are coming into Unitarian Universalism?

How do we let people more fully know that this faith can be for them.

What is the biggest hurdle to get over in order to express Unitarian Universalism?
Are we lost for words when trying to explain Unitarian Universalists to people?

What's the best way to speak about Unitarian Universalism with ease?
Joe's Gems:
"As your minister it isn't important what you believe or where you end up. What's important is that you're  engaged in the process..."

"...helping people to come to a place of greater peace."

"We have a homecoming experience as we discover we are UU."

"What moment in your life since being a UU brought tears to your eyes? that's what you should be talking about."

Joe turned the interview on me asking:

"What is it about you that makes you one of us (a UU)"

How will you answer this question?
Popular Quotes Rev. Joe Referred To:
If it is not the desire for heaven or social approval, it is the desire for the feeling of self-satisfaction which comes from following the dictates of conscience or from retaining one’s self-respect by being true to one’s ideals. – Marshall M. Knappen, Tudor Puritanism

"I am a human being, nothing human is alien to me." - Terence (2nd century)

Joe's published Prayer he created in a workshop that has been used in various venues from General Assembly (GA) to the Selma worship service.

"If we have any hope of improving the world and ourselves we must be bold enough to step into our discomfort, brave enough to be clumsy there, and loving enough to forgive ourselves and each other. May we as a people of faith be so bold, so brave, and so loving."

 

Final Credits: music thanks to:

"Carefree", "Open Those Bright Eyes", "Sweeter Vermouth"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/