Circle Stories

One of the founding members of Circle of Mercy, Ken Sehested now focuses on writing and shepherding the next cohort of disparate prophets in the land. We talked of his times as a young preacher, a brick layer, activist, and the transition into his current role. Taking a step back from the activist and pastoral world seems to suit Ken well as he concentrates on his writing and publishing of his blog Prayer and Politks.

"spiritual life is material life lived rightly"Ken Sehested

A grateful newbie podcaster wishes to thank Mahan Siler for sitting down with me and sharing some of his wisdom. Eighty five years young, Mahan and I talked about the current times from a perspective of shepherding, both the younger folks and elders alike, in his circles to be more active in the present while striving for the future change we all aspire to. We talked about the stories we all live and how we are shaped by those stories, emphasizing the promise of community and interpersonal interactions to realize our best selves.

charleseisenstein.org

Walter Wink's writings are best accessed by entering his name in the search engine of your choice.

My good friend and member of several circles in my life was kind enough to join me for a chat. Among other topics, we cover life during quarantine, share two analogies on the strangeness of this time, and generally have a nice time reconnecting over Zoom.

When it becomes safe and appropriate to do so she will be resuming her Free Walking Tours Asheville business. She would like to stress that this Tour is equally enjoyable and informative for locals and tourists alike. Locals, you only thought you knew everything about Asheville, and you tourists are about to learn that there is much more to the AVL than just beer. LOOK HER UP!

avlfreewalkingtours.space

asheville free walking tours on FaceBook

asheville_free_walking_tours on Instagram

Hello, my name is Karl Kauffman and I am the creator and host of Circle Stories, the podcast.

I am talking to you from Asheville, NC nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains where I live with my wife Karma, my dog Bailey and my cat India.

This is the pilot episode where I will give you a brief overview of what i hope to accomplish with Circle Stories.

I wanted to start this podcast to highlight the incredible richness, wealth and depth of the stories in my community.

The idea behind Circle Stories began over a year ago and really grew out of my experience of attending a local monthly event called 5-3-1. This gathering was created by my good friends Gareth Higgins and Brian Ammons. What I experienced at 5-3-1 (5 stories, 3 songs, 1 community) was transformational. And I don't say that lightly as I am not prone to hyperbole.

The stories were sometimes rough, sometimes polished, often unfiltered, powerful, well crafted, and poignant glimpses into the tellers life experience. But most importantly, always authentic. Most of us have at least some functional B.S. detector and can sense disingenuousness. So to deliver a story at 5-3-1 is to tell a story that comes from within often resulting in vulnerability and openness that oozes authenticity. As a listener and a teller my emotions have run the gamut. My hope for the podcast is to bring a version of that experience to you. That is why I started Circle Stories.

The podcast will not be limited to stories but will also include conversations between myself and members of my circles and conversations between members of my community. You see, each of us are members of any number of circles that make up our lives: family, friends, spiritual, work, professional, teams, clubs, hobbies, and other communities.

Finally, and integral to my life and journey, a word about my faith community, Circle of Mercy. This group of believers, skeptics, and non-believers alike deserve credit for offering myself and many others love, hope, service, support, and replenishment of the spiritual nourishment I/we crave. It's steadfast commitment to each other, the local community, and the wider world seems boundless to me. At the risk of sounding tribal in a world already too divided, these are my people. Our motto: seeking justice, pursuing peace, following Jesus.

Circle Stories will touch on all these and more of the circles in my life. May you be as enlightened and enriched as I am when you listen in.