Tonight’s studio guest in the first hour was Graham Hamborg, who works for the Diocese of Chelmsford and is involved with training of curates and Vicars in the Church of England in Essex. He gave examples of how complex the role is when you are ordained and how he organises training activities to help clergy reflect on their practice and learn useful skills. We heard about his love of walking, including in the Himalayas! His faith journey developed, despite disliking daily chapel at his school. When in the first year of studying economics at University, he felt called to the ministry. This was something that came as no surprise to his friends. Ministry experiences in Birmingham, Slough and eighteen years in Twyford had led naturally into his present training role. He enjoys keeping hens. He has continued his academic studies, finishing a PHD on the book of the prophet Amos. How does he find the time? Graham and Ruth have been married for 40 years. They have five children and four grandchildren. He brought in an interesting selection of music.

Stuart Hull and I spoke in the second hour. Stuart had come back the previous day from Bermuda, where he has spent four weeks working at the Cathedral and experiencing the wider ministry of the church. This included preaching in the Cathedral with a live radio broadcast. His fiancée Christine was in the chatroom from Bermuda, a first for our show for someone from that island. She told us it was raining, and had been for much of the last week. It was dry in Brentwood! Stuart clearly had a great time experiencing life there, including eating lots of rice and peas. He also told us about his final year of study in Oxford and how he is looking forward to being ordained in 2015, when he will also be marrying Christine in Bermuda.

Tonight’s playlist.
Booker T & MGs – Crazy – show theme
Dolly Parton – Try – from the Blue Smoke album
Sting – Fragile
Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water – chosen by Graham as having his favourite guitar riff, as quoted in an article in the Daily Telegraph, along with Liam Gallacher!
Strawbs – Martin Luther King’s dream – chosen by Graham as he has great respect for Martin Luther King.
Beatles – All you need is love – chosen by Graham – because, as he said, all we need is God’s love.
Miles Davis – Miles.
Jamie Cullum – The edge of something
U2 – I still haven’t found what I’m looking for – requested by Christine in Bermuda
Isley Brothers – Harvest for the world
Four Seasons – Let’s hang on – requested by Patrick
John Legend – She don’t have to know – request by Michael
Rolling Stones – Angie – requested by Lee in the chatroom
Steeleye Span – Lovely on the water – requested by Phyl
Martin Taylor – Frankie and Johny

Join me next week for another edition of Friday Night Extra.

[mixcloud width=620 height=180]https://www.mixcloud.com/RenH/phoenix-98-fm-friday-night-extra-with-patrick-sherring-ft-stuart-hull-graham-hamborg-15-aug-2014/[/mixcloud]