Category Archives: The Church

weekly news sheet 08/11/20

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Dear Friends,

I do hope you are all well and coping with this second lockdown. I think we all knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier. If anybody is struggling with shopping or prescriptions etc please do get in contact and we will make sure someone can help you. The Capel Parish Angels are still running (just the first telephone number on the list) as is Capel Assist so help is there.

All church services are cancelled for this month but we will still be producing the weekly sheets with the Bishop’s sermon as we did throughout the first lockdown. For Remembrance Sunday the government has said we can have short services outside with small congregations and everyone social distancing. So you will see on the sheet that there is a short service at Ockley at 10.45am tomorrow and again at Capel at 3pm. These services will both be outside.

Our churches are still open for private prayer. At Capel the church is open daily between 9.30am and 4pm and Ockley is open at the weekends.

Revd. Liz explains in the weekly sheet about the Archbishops call for daily prayer at 6pm for the next 28 days from 9 November, she explains a little more about this in the passage below:

‘We are invited by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to pray for the nation during this second lockdown. Every day we will pause and pray at 6pm for those impacted by the pandemic. Set an alarm, light a candle or use a light on your mobile phone as a prompt to pray or you may even hear a church bell ring! There are online links on our parish website to this initiative and guides to prayer in a booklet in both churches. Please let us know if you wish us to email the prayer resources to you. So join us in pausing at 6pm each evening and let us pray to God our Father to halt this pandemic!’
Suggested daily themes:
Sunday – Family, friends and loved ones

Monday – Schools and colleges, children and young people

Tuesday – Elderly, isolated and vulnerable

Wednesday – Businesses, the workplace and economic wellbeing

Thursday – The NHS and other key workers

Friday – National and Local government

Saturday – All who are grieving, and all suffering with physical and mental ill health.

It is also time for us to start thinking about the Christmas hampers again. I have attached the list of foods that we generally put in them. Sue Partridge and Leigh de Souza have kindly agreed to co-ordinate the packing and distribution this year. If you have a chance to pop into Capel church and sign the form that would be most kind.

Lastly, our picture of the week is a lovely hedgehog box one of two that James and Helen Burt have made from the temporary door at Ockley church. They are now in situ at the far end of St Margaret’s churchyard – recycling at its best!

With love and prayers

Debbie von Bergen
debbievonbergen@icloud.com
07774 784008

xls icon list-of-gifts-required.xlsx
pdf icon SundayBlue_Nov-8.pdf
pdf icon weekly-sheet-20.11.05-draft-2.pdf
pdf icon WebPage.pdf
pdf icon 201108-1thess-4-and-remembering.pdf
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REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY NOV 08 2020

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REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

We have two services for you

  • A brief service recorded at st Margaret’s Ockley. For the silence to fall at 11:00 the video has to start at 10:46am.

 

 

  • And secondly Bishop Jo preaches for Remembrance Sunday on 1Thess 4:13-18 ‘How do we remember?’

Post expires at 8:06am on Sunday November 7th, 2021

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A call to begin 28 days of focused prayer

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A message from Bishop Andrew

A call to begin 28 days of focused prayer

Friends, these are challenging times as we move into Lockdown once more, and this time as winter approaches. It’s vital that we continue to do what we can to reach out to those most affected in our communities, living out God’s special heart for the poor and lonely and bereaved and the spiritually lost, as the church at its best has always done; and it’s vital too that we continue to stream our worship services, whether live or recorded or in partnership with other churches, so as to draw us together into the presence of the Good Shepherd who continues to walk with us through the green pastures and the darkest of valleys.

Thursday marks the beginning of 28 days of Lockdown, but also, on the initiative of our archbishops, the beginning of 28 days of focused prayer for our nation at this time, and I’d love to encourage every Christian in the diocese to engage with this, and particularly with a very simple discipline: setting the alarms on our phones or wherever to go off at 6 o’clock each evening to remind us to pray together – across the diocese and nation – for just five minutes each day – or more, of course, as the Spirit leads you! It would be great too if as many churches as possible could toll their bells at 6 pm, so as to remind our communities that we are praying for them. And if you’re able to pray and fast once a week over this month – fasting from food or maybe from TV or social media – that too would help us to focus our prayers for God’s mercy at this time, and to keep that living link with the living God.

And some words of blessing from Paul’s letter to the Romans: ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’. Amen

Critical Reading

#PrayerForTheNation resources

As lockdown starts, The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, other senior leaders and our own Diocesan Bishops are inviting you all to pray for the nation.

Each day, there will be a key area to pray for, based on a simple weekly cycle, and at 6pm we will take a collective moment in prayer together. A booklet of prayer has been created and is available here. 

Day of the week Daily theme
Sunday Family, friends and loved ones
Monday Schools and colleges, children and young people
Tuesday Elderly, isolated and vulnerable
Wednesday Businesses, the workplace and economic wellbeing
Thursday The NHS and other key workers
Friday National and local governments
Saturday All who are grieving and all suffering with physical & mental ill-health

In the first week, a video will be shared at 6pm each day on the Archbishops social media channels calling for this collective prayer.
Churches are encouraged to ring bells (if safe to do so) and encourage your congregation to set alarms to remember to pray together and share what they are doing using the hashtag #PrayerForTheNation

For a range of tried and trusted resources – from across traditions and denominations, ranging from simple prayers to litanies. See here: www.churchofengland.org/PrayerForTheNation This includes links to social media assets which include the daily themes, prayers and other resources.

Letter to the Nation 

In case you have not seen the letter shared nationally by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York, you can read the letter in full  here.

Changes in Guidance

We are still waiting on changes but will share what we can, when we can.

We have developed an FAQ based on some of the questions we have received from parishes so far and will keep this up to date.

There are a number of implications set out in this FAQ however please be aware that the most up-to-date guidance will be found on the Church of England’s coronavirus guidance page  and the government guidance pages (new national restrictions and guidance for places of worship) do check the date at which they were last updated at the top of each page.

If you have questions, please contact the parishcoordination@cofeguildford.org.uk.

Diocesan resources to help you locally until Jan 1 2021

We have had a number of conversations with our clergy and lay ministers this week and we know this is an extremely challenging time. We asked what support you would like from us and what support you wouldn’t.

  1. We will continue to share Bishops’ Sermons based on lectionary readings each week (this will carry on until at least Christmas)
  2. We will continue to host practical workshops (Wednesday webinars) to share ideas on how to survive and thrive in this lockdown period and beyond
  3. We will also create a stand alone all age pre-recorded service for you for the 27th December – we hope that this will encourage a number of you to take a well earned rest. Our intention is that this will be available from mid December for your planning purposes.  If you prefer something ‘classic’ that is not all-age, you may wish to point people to join the livestream from the cathedral’s service of Holy Eucharist.

For your information 

Interfaith Week 2020
Inter Faith Week 2020 will take place from Sunday 8 – Sunday 15 November.
The aims of Inter Faith Week are to:

  • Strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels
  • Increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
  • Increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs

Surrey has six interfaith forums that have actively organised events for interfaith week in previous years; this year in the context of Covid-19, some virtual events have been organised and a ‘interfaith buddy scheme’ where people of different faiths buddied with a person from a faith different to theirs, remained in contact once or twice a week in different ways, to get an idea of what their respective faith means to them both in beliefs and practice.

This year’s virtual events that you can join:
Religions during Covid-19: Spiritual and Practical
Elmbridge Multi Faith Forum are holding an online event during Interfaith Week to hear from different faith perspectives on how they have coped during this time. Tuesday 10th November, 7.30 pm on zoom
http://surreyfaithlinks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Covid-19-spiritual-and-practical.png

What are religions doing about race inequality?
Woking People of Faith are holding this event during Interfaith Week on zoom on Thursday 12th November at 7.00 pm—8.30 pm.
http://surreyfaithlinks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Doing-God-Together-2020.png

Mental Health and Wellbeing in Challenging Times
Guildford and Godalming Interfaith Forum are holding their annual Interfaith Service on Sunday 15th November at 3.00 pm
http://surreyfaithlinks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Interfaith-Service-2020.png

If you would like to receive information and updates about future events not just limited to Interfaith Week, please email Kawther.Hashmi@cofeguildford.org.uk to receive the Surrey Faith Links Newsletter or follow on Facebook.
W: www.surreyfaithlinks.org.uk

Digital Inclusion

As part of the East Surrey Poverty Truth Commission, Bishop Jo has helped to establish an upcycling project that cleans/services laptops and tablets for redistribution, through schools, to enable children without other form of online access to learn from home.

Here are some of the first batch being delivered to Trinity Leatherhead School! As a second lockdown begins, the needs are very great. Might you have a spare device lying around that you could manage without? Might others in your parish or neighbourhood? See https://epsomewell.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-a-laptop/ for more info including drop-off/pick-up.

Reminder of Sunday Sermon

Bishop Jo preaches for Remembrance Sunday on the lectionary epistle (1Thess 4:13-18), ‘How do we remember?’

You can find out more about the upcoming webinars on our website or if you missed a session, you can catch up via our YouTube channel.

If you missed this week’s webinar, its worth a watch. This global pandemic whilst so, so challenging also presents the biggest opportunity for Christians. To reach out to their neighbours and ask ‘How are you really?’. Michael Harvey talks about success being the invitation and leaving the rest to God.
Wednesday 11th November – 3pm-4pm – Contributing to the new normal

Bishop Andrew Watson will be joined by Bishop Henrik and others from our link Diocese in Viborg, Denmark.

The webinar will explore how the Church might contribute to the new normal, particularly in our own parishes and contexts post lockdown.

Please note 3pm start
Wednesday 11th November – Creative Christmas   EVENING WEBINAR: 7.30- 8.30pm

Lead by the Mission Enabler team exploring what are our options for Christmas, especially in Lockdown 2.0
Change of timing. Wednesday 18th November – 7.30pm-8.30pm – Online and all age services

With special guests Nick and Becky Drake from Gas Street Church in Birmingham.

Intergenerational worship is tough in normal times – how does one lead children and adults in worship? Online it can be even harder to get right. This is a workshop for creative ideas and learning from people who are doing it well.

For the latest National guidance click here
For the latest Diocesan guidance click here
Next briefing will be issued on 10th November 2020

Post expires at 12:00am on Thursday December 3rd, 2020

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COVID-19 Briefing 05/11

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A message from Bishop Andrew

A call to begin 28 days of focused prayer

Friends, these are challenging times as we move into Lockdown once more, and this time as winter approaches. It’s vital that we continue to do what we can to reach out to those most affected in our communities, living out God’s special heart for the poor and lonely and bereaved and the spiritually lost, as the church at its best has always done; and it’s vital too that we continue to stream our worship services, whether live or recorded or in partnership with other churches, so as to draw us together into the presence of the Good Shepherd who continues to walk with us through the green pastures and the darkest of valleys.

Thursday marks the beginning of 28 days of Lockdown, but also, on the initiative of our archbishops, the beginning of 28 days of focussed prayer for our nation at this time, and I’d love to encourage every Christian in the diocese to engage with this, and particularly with a very simple discipline: setting the alarms on our phones or wherever to go off at 6 o’clock each evening to remind us to pray together – across the diocese and nation – for just five minutes each day – or more, of course, as the Spirit leads you! It would be great too if as many churches as possible could toll their bells at 6 pm, so as to remind our communities that we are praying for them. And if you’re able to pray and fast once a week over this month – fasting from food or maybe from TV or social media – that too would help us to focus our prayers for God’s mercy at this time, and to keep that living link with the living God.
 
And some words of blessing from Paul’s letter to the Romans: ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’. Amen
 

Critical Reading

#PrayerForTheNation resources

As lockdown starts, The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, other senior leaders and our own Diocesan Bishops are inviting you all to pray for the nation.

Each day, there will be a key area to pray for, based on a simple weekly cycle, and at 6pm we will take a collective moment in prayer together. A booklet of prayer has been created and is available here. 
 

Day of the week Daily theme
Sunday Family, friends and loved ones
Monday Schools and colleges, children and young people
Tuesday Elderly, isolated and vulnerable
Wednesday Businesses, the workplace and economic wellbeing
Thursday The NHS and other key workers
Friday National and local governments
Saturday All who are grieving and all suffering with physical & mental ill-health

In the first week, a video will be shared at 6pm each day on the Archbishops social media channels calling for this collective prayer.
Churches are encouraged to ring bells (if safe to do so) and encourage your congregation to set alarms to remember to pray together and share what they are doing using the hashtag #PrayerForTheNation 

For a range of tried and trusted resources – from across traditions and denominations, ranging from simple prayers to litanies. See here: www.churchofengland.org/PrayerForTheNation This includes links to social media assets which include the daily themes, prayers and other resources.
 

Letter to the Nation 

In case you have not seen the letter shared nationally by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York, you can read the letter in full  here. 

Changes in Guidance

We are still waiting on changes but will share what we can, when we can.

We have developed an FAQ based on some of the questions we have received from parishes so far and will keep this up to date. 

There are a number of implications set out in this FAQ however please be aware that the most up-to-date guidance will be found on the Church of England’s coronavirus guidance page  and the government guidance pages (new national restrictions and guidance for places of worship) do check the date at which they were last updated at the top of each page.

If you have questions, please contact the parishcoordination@cofeguildford.org.uk.  
 

Diocesan resources to help you locally until Jan 1 2021

We have had a number of conversations with our clergy and lay ministers this week and we know this is an extremely challenging time. We asked what support you would like from us and what support you wouldn’t.

  1. We will continue to share Bishops’ Sermons based on lectionary readings each week (this will carry on until at least Christmas)
  2. We will continue to host practical workshops (Wednesday webinars) to share ideas on how to survive and thrive in this lockdown period and beyond
  3. We will also create a stand alone all age pre-recorded service for you for the 27th December – we hope that this will encourage a number of you to take a well earned rest. Our intention is that this will be available from mid December for your planning purposes.  If you prefer something ‘classic’ that is not all-age, you may wish to point people to join the livestream from the cathedral’s service of Holy Eucharist.

For your information 

Interfaith Week 2020
Inter Faith Week 2020 will take place from Sunday 8 – Sunday 15 November.
The aims of Inter Faith Week are to:

  • Strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels
  • Increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
  • Increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs

Surrey has six interfaith forums that have actively organised events for interfaith week in previous years; this year in the context of Covid-19, some virtual events have been organised and a ‘interfaith buddy scheme’ where people of different faiths buddied with a person from a faith different to theirs, remained in contact once or twice a week in different ways, to get an idea of what their respective faith means to them both in beliefs and practice.

This year’s virtual events that you can join:
Religions during Covid-19: Spiritual and Practical
Elmbridge Multi Faith Forum are holding an online event during Interfaith Week to hear from different faith perspectives on how they have coped during this time. Tuesday 10th November, 7.30 pm on zoom
http://surreyfaithlinks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Covid-19-spiritual-and-practical.png
 
What are religions doing about race inequality?
Woking People of Faith are holding this event during Interfaith Week on zoom on Thursday 12th November at 7.00 pm—8.30 pm.
http://surreyfaithlinks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Doing-God-Together-2020.png
 
Mental Health and Wellbeing in Challenging Times
Guildford and Godalming Interfaith Forum are holding their annual Interfaith Service on Sunday 15th November at 3.00 pm
http://surreyfaithlinks.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Interfaith-Service-2020.png
 
If you would like to receive information and updates about future events not just limited to Interfaith Week, please email Kawther.Hashmi@cofeguildford.org.uk to receive the Surrey Faith Links Newsletter or follow on Facebook.
W: www.surreyfaithlinks.org.uk
 
 

Digital Inclusion

 
As part of the East Surrey Poverty Truth Commission, Bishop Jo has helped to establish an upcycling project that cleans/services laptops and tablets for redistribution, through schools, to enable children without other form of online access to learn from home.

Here are some of the first batch being delivered to Trinity Leatherhead School! As a second lockdown begins, the needs are very great. Might you have a spare device lying around that you could manage without? Might others in your parish or neighbourhood? See https://epsomewell.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-a-laptop/ for more info including drop-off/pick-up.

Reminder of Sunday Sermon

Bishop Jo preaches for Remembrance Sunday on the lectionary epistle (1Thess 4:13-18), ‘How do we remember?’

You can find out more about the upcoming webinars on our website or if you missed a session, you can catch up via our YouTube channel. 

If you missed this week’s webinar, its worth a watch. This global pandemic whilst so, so challenging also presents the biggest opportunity for Christians. To reach out to their neighbours and ask ‘How are you really?’. Michael Harvey talks about success being the invitation and leaving the rest to God. 
Wednesday 11th November – 3pm-4pm – Contributing to the new normal

Bishop Andrew Watson will be joined by Bishop Henrik and others from our link Diocese in Viborg, Denmark.

The webinar will explore how the Church might contribute to the new normal, particularly in our own parishes and contexts post lockdown.

Please note 3pm start
Wednesday 11th November – Creative Christmas   EVENING WEBINAR: 7.30- 8.30pm

Lead by the Mission Enabler team exploring what are our options for Christmas, especially in Lockdown 2.0

Change of timing. Wednesday 18th November – 7.30pm-8.30pm – Online and all age services

With special guests Nick and Becky Drake from Gas Street Church in Birmingham.

Intergenerational worship is tough in normal times – how does one lead children and adults in worship? Online it can be even harder to get right. This is a workshop for creative ideas and learning from people who are doing it well.
 

For the latest National guidance click here
For the latest Diocesan guidance click here
Next briefing will be issued on 10th November 2020

The post COVID-19 Briefing 05/11 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.

COVID-19 Briefing 03/11

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We have this treasure … in jars of clay
Since attending the ordinations a few weeks ago, I have been reflecting further on 2 Corinthians 4:1-11, one of the passages that was read seven times!  This letter is the product of a stressed and even distressed minister of the Gospel.  Three times in chapters 4 and 5 the apostle Paul says ‘we do not lose heart…’  which is another way of saying that he was probably pretty close most of the time to doing exactly that!

I wonder how many of us have resonated recently with the words in verses 8 and 9: ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not dismayed’?  I know that I certainly have from time to time, not least on Saturday evening having heard Boris announce yet another lockdown.   And yet there is also the other side of the story, for in v.6 Paul writes, ‘For God who said ‘let light shine out of darkness’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ’. It is at this point, and in relation to both sides of the experience of the disciple, that Paul says, ‘we have this treasure in jars of clay’. 

We are no better than pots of earthenware to contain this treasure.  I guess that for many of us, the ministry we came into is not the ministry that seems to stretch ahead of us, not least in these ever-changing days of Covid, and that can be very unnerving.  I am sure that we are all very aware of being fragile like the clay pots to which St. Paul referred.

And yet, we have this treasure, which I find is quite amazing!  Paul does not write ‘we know about this treasure’… he says we have it… we own it… we are vessels that contain it.  We are on the receiving end of the treasure and we have the great privilege to be on the dispensing end of the treasure.  We have it and we share it.  Despite the pressures, the uncertainties, and the current context of another impending lockdown, I hope that we can still cling on to an excitement in the gospel. 

The apostle was blessed in many ways to live in a world that pressed his face against the cold window of reality.  There were no low interest rates incentives to buy a car for his journeys, there was no pension scheme, indeed he knew that there was little likelihood that he would see old age, there were no police to rescue him from the mobs and stonings and no helicopters to pluck him out of the sea when he was shipwrecked…

But he had this treasure!  The treasure of the good news.  He had seen ‘the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ’.  As a sinner he knew he was forgiven.  When he was frail in temperament, he knew he had the Spirit of God to sustain him.  When he was lonely and isolated, he knew that he belonged to the family of God.  Even though he was mortal he knew that he had eternal life and that the God who raised Jesus Christ would give life also to his mortal body.

And for all his frailties, faults and fears he was a man of purpose, joy and blessing to others.  You and I today are made of the same stuff and we face the same pressures and we have the same treasure – to have and to share.

So, even though we are about to enter another lockdown, let us encourage one another not to lose heart.
Archdeacon Martin
 

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A service of thanksgiving, hope, and remembrance

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Join us for our All Saints’ online service, and be comforted that “God is with us in our pain and fear”. The Bishop of London, Rt Rev Dame Sarah Mullally, leads this special service of thanksgiving, hope, and remembrance from St Paul’s Cathedral.

Click the read more link to go to the service on the Church of England Website.
Read More

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weekly news sheet 01/11/2020 All Saints/All Souls

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Dear friends,

What a horrid day!  I’m still drying off from a dog walk two hours ago!
Even our dog hesitated at the back door and wasn’t keen to head out!

Please find attached the Readings, weekly news sheet and Graham
Everness’ sermon for this Sunday – All Saints/All Souls.  Please note
that there is a lovely idea which is designed to unite us in thought and
prayer for those we have lost – it is suggested that we light a candle
(or as many candles as you like!) together at 6pm on Sunday 1st November.

Can I also take this opportunity to say that the paper copies of
November’s InSpire should be in church on Monday.  Sadly the printers
were unable to run it for us yesterday due to a lack of toner so I could
not get them into church for the first weekend in the month as I would
have liked.  This also means that some of the items mentioned, such as
the lighting of the candles on Sunday, will sadly be past by the time
you get your paper copies.  But most of the important things you need to
know for Sunday 1st November are included in the weekly sheets attached.

I look forward to lighting my candle to remember those I have lost
tomorrow evening at 6pm and shall be with everyone in thought and prayer
whilst doing so.

With best wishes,

Suzanne

Suzanne Cole 07923 517202

6pm Sunday 1st November  –  Lighting candles in memory of those we have
lost for All Saints/All Souls day

/Please do let us know if you would rather not receive emails from us,
or alternatively let us know if there is someone who would like to be
added.  We will never share your details with other organisations./

pdf icon All-Saints-Day-sermon_1Nov_GrahamEverness.pdf
pdf icon Sunday-1st-November-2020.pdf
pdf icon SundayBlue_Nov_1-1.pdf

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Issue 44 November 2020 We will remember them

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A packed issue with details of forthcoming services and events to mark
All Saints/All Souls and Remembrance Sunday.  Also, recent articles from
The Church Times together with a recipe, puzzles and book reviews.  Hope
you enjoy it!

The Editor

pdf icon November_Issue44.pdf

Post expires at 6:49am on Monday November 1st, 2021

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