www.goodshepherdlc.org

Number 6 JUNE 2015

WORSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

Well, SUMMERTIME is here again! (I know, I know, not officially until what is it June 21st or 22nd?!) But now that Memorial Day is behind us and the month of June is just ahead, for all intents and purposes, summer is here! In just a few more days school will be out for another year- then summer will be underway for sure!

In the church, summertime means the start of the second half of the church year and the long season after Pentecost. Actually they don’t even call it a season anymore, but refer to it, instead, as “The Sundays of Ordinary Time.” I must admit, I never quite understood that. I guess the reason is that there are no major church “holidays” during this half of the church year, and so it’s “ordinary.” Green is the color for this non-season, the color of life and lush growth. It’s the time of year when we focus on Jesus’ ministry (rather than so much on the events of His life on earth), including His miracles and His teachings. I suppose that might be another reason behind the label of “ordinary” time; we witness, during this time of the year, how Jesus’ ministry had an impact on the “ordinary” times of our lives.

Of course, I submit that anything “ordinary” that is touched by the power of Christ will soon be quite “extraordinary.” The blind received sight, the lame walked, those who could not hear or speak had their ability to communicate restored, sinners repented, even the dead were raised. Indeed, as we worship in the coming weeks, we will hear accounts of the “ordinary” being transformed by the gracious love of God come among us in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. And we will have opportunities to experience this transformation first-hand, to have the “ordinariness” of our lives impacted by being in the very presence of God, hearing His Word for us, and receiving His blessings through bread and wine, water and the Word.

Sunday, June 7- The Second Sunday after Pentecost: A house divided against itself cannot stand. Jesus makes this observation in light of charges that he is possessed. He is possessed, not by a demon, but by the

Worship Highlights pp1-3From the Pastor pp3-4Summer Worship pp4-5Congrat’s Confirmands p 5Welcome to Lord’sTable p6Preschool News pp6-7Website, WELCA p 7WELCA Service Proj. p 8Words to Live By pp 8-9Recycled Teenagers p 9Fiddler On The Roof p9 Summer Day Camp p9Retirement Celebration p 10Worship & Music p10Summer S.S., VBS p 1150’s Drive-In p 11Jingle, Witness, Deadline p 12

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Holy Spirit. We who received the Holy Spirit through baptism have been joined to Christ’s death and resurrection and knit together in the body of Christ. Those with whom we sing and pray this day are sisters and brothers of the Lord. With them we go forth in peace to do the will of God. The readings for this Sunday are: 1L- Genesis 3: 8-

15; Psalm 130; 2L- 2 Corinthians 4: 13- 5: 1; G- Mark 3: 20-35. Our SUMMER SCHEDULE STARTS TODAY! Join us this Sunday for a service of Holy Communion at 9:30AM.

Sunday, June 14- The Third Sunday after Pentecost: The mustard seed becomes a shrub that shelters the birds, recalling ancient images of the tree of life. We’d expect a cedar or a sequoia, but Jesus finds the power of God better imaged in a tiny, no-account seed. It’s not the way we expect divine activity to look. Yet the tree of life is here, in the cross around which we gather, the tree into which we are grafted through baptism, the true vine that nourishes us with its fruit in the cup we share. It may not appear all that impressive, but while nobody’s looking it grows with a power beyond our understanding. The readings for this Sunday are: 1L- Ezekiel 17: 22-24; Psalm 92; 2L- 2 Corinthians 5: 6-17; G- Mark 4: 26-34.

Sunday, June 21- The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation! Now we are in the storm, the boat almost swamped; but Jesus is here now; and when we call him he will calm the storm. Even the wind and waves listen to him as they would to their creator. We also listen to him and are called to believe in the power of God’s word in him, a power greater than all that we fear. The readings for this Sunday are: 1L- Job 38: 1-11; Psalm 107; 2L- 2 Corinthians 6: 1-13; G- Mark 4: 35-41. Our worship service will include a Father’s Day celebration of the gifts with which God blesses us through our Fathers. We hope you will join us.

Sunday, June 28- The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost: A woman finds healing by touching Jesus’ cloak, and a girl is restored to life when he takes her by gthe hand. In both cases a boundary is crossed; in Jesus’ time the hemorrhaging woman was considered ritually unclean, polluting others by her touch, and anyone who touched a corpse also became unclean. In Mark’s gospel Jesus breaks down barriers, from his first meal at a tax collector’s house to his last breath on the cross as the temple curtain is torn in two. We dare to touch Jesus in our “uncleanness” and to live as a community that defines no one as an outsider. The readings for this Sunday are: 1L- Lamentations 3: 22-33; Psalm 30; 2L- 2Corinthians 8: 7-15; G- Mark 5: 21-43.

Indeed, after the first few weeks of summer, when everything is fresh and new and welcome; as the long, hot days of summer start dragging on, our lives may well get to feeling quite “ordinary.” When they do, let us remember that there is nothing

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“ordinary” when we are alive in Christ. Indeed, He who created us and who gave His life to set us free from sin and death, is with us daily, blessing us with His constant love and care. In Him there is full, rich, abundant life that is ours to live and ours to share. Thanks be to God for making the ordinary EXTRAORDINARY through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

FROM THE PASTOR

Now that it’s official that I will be retiring September 30 (I hope you received your copy of my retirement letter), we really need to get busy preparing for what is to come. I have a lot to do to be sure that everything is ready to pass on first to the interim Pastor and then eventually to the next Pastor you call to serve you. Just going through the files from the last 34 years will take a major chunk of time. Then there’s emptying out my office… no doubt that will take “a while” too!! I’m presently making a list of the things I’ve done throughout the year that someone else will have to take over. I also need to make sure that all the church records are in order and I hope to catch up my own personal records while I have the opportunity. There are a couple of other items that appear on committee agendas every month that I need to be sure get completed before I retire. All this must be done, while I do my best to continue ministering effectively up to the end of September.

The church council and congregational leadership has been doing what they could to prepare for the coming transition. Their roles are about to increase as the official transition process begins. The July Council meeting will include a meeting with Pastor John Richter, our Synod representative, who will explain step by step how the vacancy process works, beginning with the need to make decisions regarding the naming of an interim Pastor. Also, that night Pastor Mary Wolfe, the Dean of the West Berks Mission District, will be on hand to conduct an exit interview with me and the church council. After that meeting there will be a better understanding of what the next steps will be in moving forward.

In the meantime we are still waiting to hear from anyone who has interest in becoming the Christian Education Director or the Youth Ministry Director. Resumes are due by the end of May. Hopefully by the time you read this article we will have had some responses. With Bible School only two months away, it is becoming increasingly critical for us to fill the Christian Education Director position. Other major needs include recruiting someone to serve as Chairperson of the Preschool Advisory Committee, the Kids’ Korner/ Summer Day Camp Committee, and the Christian Education Committee.Members are needed for the Christian Education Committee, in particular, as well as several of our other standing committees. Finally, just continuing to worship weekly and contributing faithfully will be necessary to see us through this transitional period.

Good Shepherd is a great church with all kinds of good things going for it, not least of which are its dedicated and talented core members. What the church needs,

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however, now more than ever, is for more folks to step up and join in taking responsibility for the ongoing ministry of the church. If you are asked to serve in some way, PLEASE SAY YES, or, at least “OK, I’ll give it a try!” Your church needs you and our Lord will provide the time and abilities you will need. I have no doubt that you can accomplish all that needs to be done to be ready to begin this new phase in the life of our congregation. Together with one another and with our Savior and Lord Good Shepherd will be ready to thrive. Thanks be to God!!

SUMMER SUNDAY SCHEDULE BEGINS JUNE 7

Our annual switch over to an earlier worship time for the summer months will take place the first Sunday in June. From then until the first Sunday in September our worship time will be 9:30AM. Please make note of this scheduling change so that you can be on time to worship.

There will be four opportunities for Holy Communion during the months of the Summer Schedule. The first Sunday of each month, June 7, July 5, August 2, and September 6 our Sunday service will include Holy

Communion (although only at a single service at 9:30AM.)Also, Summer Sunday School will be held in conjunction with our summer

worship schedule. We urge you to bring children along to church on Sunday mornings. They will join us in worship up until the Children’s Sermon; after which they will go out for a Sunday School lesson.

Let’s make this the year that summer worship attendance doesn’t drop! It’s COOL to come to church this summer (We have air conditioning and the earlier service time helps too!) Hope to see you in worship and your kids in Sunday School all summer long!

TRAVELS, TRIPS, and JOURNEYS

So, how many of you remember our special service at the end of August last year, called TRAVELS, TRIPS, and JOURNEYS. If you missed it, we followed the unique worship format provided by Sundays and Seasons, the worship resource book published by Augsburg Fortress to guide worship leaders of the ELCA called: “Travels, Trips, and Journeys: A Service of Word and Song for Summer.” The service progressed through the stages of many journeys: Plans and Preparations, Setting Out, On the Road, When the

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Way Becomes Hard, and Joyful Homecomings. The resource noted that: “Whatever our travels of life, God remains our steadfast guide and companion.” This service is designed to celebrate the sustaining love of God that keeps us in His care wherever we may be and the rich blessings God provides us as we live our lives in Him.

As I recall, a fair number of folks sent in pictures of their travels, which were shown in the course of the service. And we received a number of positive reviews on the service. So, we’ve decided to try it again this year. It will be held on the last Sunday in August, which would be August 30th. Although this is not the Sunday of Labor Day weekend this year, it still seems to be an appropriate Sunday for this special service. By then, many of us will be back from our summer travels with much to share of the experiences we enjoyed along the way.

So, the advanced notice will hopefully allow you enough time to send us pictures of your vacation or other travels that you undertake this summer. For those of you with computer access and digital capability, please send me some of your vacation pictures so that I can include them in a video presentation for the service that Sunday. Please send me an e-mail in which you tell me where you went and what your pictures depict. Attach 5 or 6 of your favorite shots that you’d like to share with the congregation. My e-mail address is jerryarndt@aol.com. Of course, you don’t have to have gone on a major vacation to be part of this presentation. Send me pictures of daytrips you may have taken, or if you just spent a leisurely summer at home, pictures of your activities (or relaxation) are welcome too. And, if you don’t have computer access and digital capability, you can still be included in the project. We’ll have a bulletin display board out in the gathering area where you can post pictures you’d like to share. The DEADLINE for getting pictures in (whether digitally or hard copy) will be Sunday, August 23. Pictures submitted after that date will not be able to be included.

TRAVELS, TRIPS, and JOURNEYS ….my hope is that this will be a most enjoyable way to conclude our summer, by sharing our leisure-time experiences and celebrating God’s rich blessings and His abiding presence with us. Mark the date on your calendar now- SUNDAY, AUGUST 30th, and plan to join us for this unique worship experience. Oh yes, and be sure to GET THOSE PICTURES IN ASAP!!!

CONGRATULATIONS, CONFIRMANDS

At our Sunday, May 24th worship service celebrating the Day of Pentecost, four young people of our congregation affirmed their Baptism. They were Emily Catherine Brown, Kobi Leigh Kolodziejski, Taylor Jean Okonski, and Samuel Lee Watson.

We congratulate each of these youths for this accomplishment. They have been studying

the Catechism along with passages from the Old and New Testaments for the past two years. They met the expectations of: regular worship, attending Sunday School classes and Monday evening Catechetical classes, and completing service

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projects. All this was to prepare them for the day when they would stand before God and their congregation and families and promise to faithfully live out a life of church involvement and discipleship.

They are now CONFIRMED. We welcome them as full partners with us in the ministry God has entrusted to us. When you see these four youths, congratulate them personally and then continue whenever possible to encourage them to live out their baptism.

Congratulations, Emily, Kobi, Taylor and Sam! We look forward to your ongoing faithful involvement with us in the life and ministry of our congregation!

WELCOME TO THE LORD’S TABLE

On Sunday, May 31, Makayla Garl will receive her First Holy Communion, after studying to prepare for this opportunity all by herself. Being the only fifth grade student to respond to the invitation to First Communion classes, Makayla had one to one instruction with Pastor regarding the meaning of Holy Communion. At the conclusion of the study, we reviewed Martin Luther’s explanation for “who is ready” to receive the Sacrament. The answer, Luther says, is anyone who BELIEVES and TRUSTS Christ’s promise that through bread and wine we will receive forgiveness, salvation and

new life. Makayla was asked: if she is ready? Her answer was YES, I trust God’s Word. I’m sure that I will receive all that God has to offer me in this way.

And so we prepare for First Communion Sunday this week, May 31. Although there is only one student to go through this year’s program, Makayla IS READY, and so she will join us around the Lord’s Table this week as we receive the Sacrament our Lord has prepared for us. Thanks be to God for the blessings our Lord offers to Makayla and to each one of us. Please join us to receive Holy Communion along with Makayla this Sunday!

GOOD SHEPHERD PRESCHOOL

May was a busy month winding down our school year. Games Day, Water Day, Everybody's Birthday Party - celebrating our summer birthdays, as well as Ozzie's Family Fun Day for the T/TH classes and Family Picnic Day at Stoudts Ferry Bridge playground for the MWF classes were among the highlights. And finally we had the Closing Program for the MWF classes where we have a chance to say goodbye to those

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moving on to Kindergarten and to close up another year at Good Shepherd Preschool. We send out a big thank you to Doris Canonico for helping with our socials after our special programs!! But that doesn't mean we are on vacation! We are gearing up for the new year to welcome back the returning students and greet our new ones! We already have an extra class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And we have filled our morning Tuesday and Thursday class, with a waiting list started for the afternoon. So we still need students and the sooner we know who is coming, the sooner we will know if we can have a T/TH afternoon class and put our staff in order.So please get the word out about this preschool opportunity to anyone you know with 3, 4, and 5 year olds who are interested in preschool for next year. Have them contact us now!!!Also, with the new website up and running, our contact email address had to change. The new one is dianerothenberger@gmail.com. Spread the word! You can also call the church 610-926-4201 or Diane Rothenberger 610-926-0274. And please check us out on our Facebook page too (www.facebook.com/gspreschool)!

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE

The Good Shepherd website has finally come out of hibernation and is now available at www.goodshepherdlc.org. There you will find a wealth of information about the programs of our congregation and a click on the calendar link will show you what is coming up this week at the church. We are always looking for new events to promote on our Facebook page and service work to share on our site. If you have photos, events or information you would like to share via this medium, please contact katiedistefano@me.com. Check it out and see what’s new!

WOMEN OF THE ELCA

The final meeting of the spring will be a picnic at the home of the Arndt’s on Monday, June 15th at 6:30 p.m. (Note the change of night). Bring a covered dish and enjoy the fun and fellowship of the evening.The members of WELCA wish to thank everyone who participated in any way in the May 9th fund raisers. To all those who baked, bought sandwiches or baked goods, or purchased plants at the plant sale, we are very grateful for

your support. The funds raised will help the church make up its deficit incurred so far this year and help us enter the summer in a stronger financial position.

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WOMEN OF THE ELCA SERVICE PROJECT

At the spring meeting of the West Berks Cluster of Women of the ELCA, held on May 4th at Bern Lutheran Church, the ladies present heard a presentation on one aspect of social ministry overseen by Lutheran Congregational Services, which received our Jingle Offering in May. Marla Sell of that agency spoke on our church’s role in helping refugees resettle in this country.

The women brought “in kind gifts” to the meeting to make up “Bathroom Boxes” for use in the homes of these new settlers in the USA. Each box consisted of ten items: a bathmat, shower curtain, shower curtain rings, four bath towels, four hand towels, four wash cloths, toilet paper, a first aid kit, a waste basket, and a laundry basket. There were sufficient supplies to make up six baskets to send with Marla that evening, and between a Thrivent Financial grant of $250.00 and money donated that evening, another six baskets were assembled by Grant and Linda Wickert and taken to Allentown to Lutheran Congregational Services.

Many thanks to the women of Good Shepherd who participated in this project. It is a tremendous expression of Christian hospitality to people going through the many challenges of getting settled in a new land.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

1. Prayer is not a “spare wheel” that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a “steering wheel” that directs the right path throughout our journey.

2. Why is a car’s windshield so large and the rear view mirror so small? Because our past in not as important as our future. So look ahead and move on.

3. Friendship is like a book: it takes a few minutes to burn, but it takes years to write.

4. All things in life are temporary. If they’re going well, enjoy them. They will not last forever. If they’re going wrong, don’t worry. They can’t last long either.

5. Old friends are gold! New friends are diamond! If you get a diamond, don’t forget the gold, because to hold a diamond, you always need a base of gold.

6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, “Relax, friend, it’s just a bend, not the end.”

7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in his abilities. When God doesn’t solve your problems, he has faith in your abilities.

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8. A blind person asked, “Can there be anything worse than losing your eyesight?” A wise man responded, “Yes, losing your vision.”

9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them. When you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10. Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It does take away today’s peace.

RECYCLED TEENAGERS

Summer means swimming for our senior group. On June 9, July 7 and Aug. 4, we will meet at the Reed Farm pool at 10 a.m. for a dip and conversation. Bring your lunch. We will either eat at the pool or at Barbara Huegler’s home on those days.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, JR.

The Good Shepherd playwrights will be presenting their annual production by the above name on June 5 and 6 at the church. Curtain time on Friday and Saturday evenings is 8 p.m. All seats are $8.00 and all seats are reserved. There is also a Saturday afternoon show at 1:30 p.m. For that show, tickets for senior citizens are $4.00 and for persons under 65 they are $8.00.

Tickets may be purchased at the door if you have not already obtained them. Come out and support the youth of our church!

MUHLENBERG SUMMER DAY CAMP

Once again our church is sponsoring this ministry to the youth of our community over the weeks of the summer vacation. Camp starts June 8th and runs through Aug. 27th. The camp is open to youth in grades 6 through 12. This year’s field trips include: Lehigh Valley Zoo, Turkey Hill Experience, Citizens Bank Park, Fightin’ Phils Game, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, and the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. Every week campers go swimming. Bowling and movies are offered every other week.There will also be art projects, cooking, music, sports, games, and more educational fun!

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For more information, please contact Becky Watson, 610-926-4201, ext. 207, or by email at Slw0219@comcast.net. Thank you.

RCT (Retirement Celebration Team)

Plan to join us to celebrate Pastor Arndt’s service to Good Shepherd on September 27, 2015. Plans call for Bishop Zeiser to join us for our AM worship and our afternoon celebration with a catered meal via Dori Martin Catering. We expect to send formal invitations near the beginning of July for people to make reservations for the afternoon meal and events. If you have questions, suggestions, would like to do a

skit, tell a humorous story related to the celebration, let one of the team members know. Now is the time to start thinking about it as September will come quickly. We are starting to prepare the agenda, so we need to know if you have an idea or want a place on the agenda. Current members of the team are: Bev Arndt, Krissy Potteiger, Betty and Dale Nelson (610-462-2475), Rick and Diane Rothenberger (610-926-0274), Kristin Morrissey, and Toni Schlitzer. I will try to create a top ten list of why Pastor Arndt is retiring, so E-mail me at dalenel@ptd.net with any one liners and I will try to collate the best. Also, we could do a top ten accomplishments while he was at Good Shepherd, or any other category you can think of. It should all be in good humor.Sincerely, Dale Nelson for RCT

Worship and Music Notes

Summer is almost here and Good Shepherd’s summer worship schedule is about to start. From June 7th through Sept. 6, the service will start at 9:30. The Senior Choir will continue to sing anthems throughout June. We will celebrate Church Music Sunday on July 5th. Favorite Hymn Sunday and Travel Sunday will also be celebrated during this time. Our church picnic will be at 10:30 Sept. 13th at Jim Dietrich Park. Watch for more information in the bulletins and later newsletters.

Our sanctuary is now air conditioned, so you can stay cool while worshipping. We hope to see you every Sunday.

SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL

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This year’s program begins in Sunday, June 14th. We will continue studying the parables of Jesus. The final parable of this series will be the widow’s offering. Summer Sunday School will be held during the 9:30 a.m. worship service on all non-communion Sundays. The program is open to children in preschool through grade 4. During the summer, children will experience the parable through art, video storytelling, Bible skills and games, cooking, drama, science and music. Please note—we will not have Sunday School on June 7 or July 5, as these are Sundays when there will be a communion service.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

The dates for this year’s VBS are Aug. 3 through 7. This year’s theme is EVEREST, where kids will conquer challenges with God’s mighty power! The hours for the school are 9-11:45 a.m. each day. Registration is now open and you can register your child (ren) by going online to the new church website at www. goodshepherdelc.org, going to the programs tab, and clicking on the link to register for VBS. In addition

to a packed VBS program, this years’ service project will be collecting money for Lutheran Disaster Relief to help provide relief for people living near Mt. Everest after the recent earthquakes. Teachers and volunteers are needed to assist the nearly 100 kids we are expecting this year. If you are interested in helping, please call Mike Arndt at 610-926-4201, ext. 205, or email him at mikearndt@aol.com.

YOUTH GROUP NEWS

50’s DRIVE IN DINEROur annual 50’s themed event will take place on Sunday, June 14th from noon to 3 p.m. The fellowship hall parking lot will be transformed into a 50’s diner complete with car hops! Come out and enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, flavored sodas, and our world famous milk shakes.

JUNE JINGLE OFFERING

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The Jingle Offering for June (to be received on June 21st) will be for the benefit of Opportunity House in Reading. As you probably know, this service organization could well be called “Hope House,” for it is not just a shelter for the homeless, but offers a myriad of programs that help the homeless take the necessary steps to being able to find apartments, jobs, manage budgets, learn methods of economy in shopping and meal preparation, and a host of other skills necessary to live in today’s society. Many of the persons who are homeless today are in that situation through no fault of their own. With the economy being what it is, more and more people live paycheck to paycheck, and one large medical expense, or car repair bill, or any unexpected emergency, to say nothing of a layoff, can be enough to put them on the street without a roof over their heads. Unfortunately, this is also true of some of our veterans returning home as they try to put their lives back together after serving our country in far distant places. Please respond generously when the June jingle offering is received!

WITNESS COMMITTEE NOTES

As many of you know, we circulated a signup sheet in worship services in May asking you if you would be willing to have a small sign in your front yard advertising Good Shepherd. Unfortunately, only 27 persons responded favorably to that request. This was not enough to make this a “cost effective” project, so it has been put on the shelf for now.At this writing, we are in the process of ordering car magnets for all members to put on the rear of their cars. We are hoping this will be more well-received than the sign idea, and that the majority of you will assist in spreading the word about Good Shepherd by placing one on the back

of your car. You will be hearing more about this when we have the magnets in hand. Meanwhile, keep talking about your faith and your church to your neighbors, friends, relatives and even better, total strangers!

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE

There has been a change of plans! In order to keep the congregation better informed during the early phases of our upcoming transition, we will have separate July and August newsletters this year. The deadline for articles for the July edition is June 14th. Be sure to have all materials you want publicized to Grant Wickert (grant.a.wickert@live.com) by that date. If you prefer, call him at 484-671-2579, giving him the details of what you wish to publicize, and he will write the article for you. (That’s an offer you can’t refuse!)

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