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Serosorting guides partner selection and may also inform choices about condom use. As public health and media attention increasingly focus on serosorting as a form of risk reduction for both HIV positive and HIV negative individuals, it has become increasingly important to understand this phenomenon.
Lately, serosorting has been thrust into the mainstream media because it is thought to be partly responsible for the recent decrease in new HIV infections in San Francisco. As part of its newfound celebrity, serosorting is being considered as one of the possible next steps in behavioral HIV prevention for both negative and positive individuals. Yet while some endorse the strategy as a safer way to have sex without condoms, the impact of serosorting on the lives and health of HIV positive individuals has yet to be fully explored.
What Is Serosorting?
Serosorting is the process by which a person makes choices about sex partners based on HIV status. The practice has existed since the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, when many HIV negative people chose not to have sex with HIV positive partners. As knowledge has increased and stigma has decreased over the intervening years, researchers have noted an upswing in HIV positive serosorting: growing numbers of HIV positive people are choosing to date, develop relationships, and have sex only with partners of the same serostatus.
Researchers have also begun to observe how HIV positive individuals are choosing specific roles and behaviors with their sexual partners based on serostatus, a practice known as strategic positioning. For example, some studies report that HIV positive gay and bisexual men are more likely to take a receptive role with HIV negative partners during anal sex, as the virus is less likely to be transmitted from the receptive to the insertive partner.
Serosorting can be an active or passive strategy. For example, an HIV positive person who seeks a sex partner through online chat rooms or bulletin boards may actively select seropositive partners and/or disclose serostatus in a personal profile, allowing potential partners to serosort and thereby reducing the odds of connecting with individuals who may react unfavorably upon learning that a potential partner has HIV.
Data gathered over the past few years indicate that HIV positive individuals tend to engage in risk-reduction strategies when they have sex with a partner they believed to be HIV negative. According to Perry Halkitis, Ph.D., of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies at New York University, "research consistently documents that HIV positive [gay and bisexual] men deliberately partake in less risky transmission behaviors when their partners are known to be HIV negative. ... [I]n my view it is indicative of the sense of responsibility many HIV positive men have toward their partners and the gay community at large."
Recent Developments
"Serosorting" became a buzzword early in 2006, when San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) officials and researchers proposed that serosorting might help explain a simultaneous increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and decrease in new HIV infections. Researchers suggested that while the increase in STIs indicated either static or increasing rates of unprotected sex, rates of HIV infection were holding steady due to a shift in the way individuals were selecting partners: people were actively choosing to partner with others of the same serostatus.
Public health officials' reactions to such reports have been mixed. Some have praised serosorting as a way to prevent the spread of HIV between partners who choose not to use condoms, but others have been cautious about endorsing a practice that may encourage unprotected sex. Additionally, as Dr. Hong- Ha Truong of the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues point out in a recent article in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, the decrease in HIV infection (unaccompanied by a drop in STIs) may be due in part to the success of HAART in reducing HIV infectivity (see "New Approaches to HIV Prevention").
Serosorting and Disclosure
In November 2006, SFDPH launched several advertisements as part of a new "Disclosure Initiative." The ads -- which do not condone condomless sex, but emphasize the importance of HIV status disclosure among partners -- have been interpreted as a nod toward serosorting.
And new methods of serostatus disclosure are popping up everywhere. Among these emerging services is the "STFree Card," a driver's license-sized card bearing the cardholder's photo and a code that allows potential partners to retrieve the cardholder's HIV test results from a hotline. Such services -- while unable to guarantee accuracy -- can be tools for serosorting in the sense that they facilitate HIV serostatus disclosure, especially for people who are uncomfortable having a verbal conversation about their status. (STFree.com warns that its service is a "sexual credit check" rather than a substitute for disclosure conversations, and encourages condom use.)
Public health officials have been less outspoken about the continuing risk for STI transmission. Unprotected oral, anal, and vaginal sex still carry the risk of contracting or transmitting an STI, and this risk represents a significant public health concern. An increasing reliance on serosorting for unprotected sex may, in fact, exacerbate STI epidemics -- a positive individual might not have to worry about contracting HIV, but other STIs are still a danger. On the other hand, the emphasis serosorting places on knowing one's own HIV status may prompt more people to seek regular sexual health screenings.
Personal Benefits of Serosorting
For many, condoms have significant shortcomings: they can be awkward and cumbersome to use, may dull the physical sensations of sex, often carry cultural stigma, and may create an emotional barrier between partners. Furthermore, 26 years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, there is a sense of burn-out and fatigue with "use a condom every time" safer-sex messages.
HIV positive men and women who prefer to have sex without condoms may find that serosorting decreases their anxiety about transmitting HIV, allowing them to enjoy sex more fully, both physically and emotionally. Even for individuals who practice safer sex, serosorting can reduce anxiety about possible condom failure. Serosorting can also be a way for HIV positive people to more readily find partners for a long-term relationship, as some seropositive individuals prefer to date others who understand the experience of living with HIV.
It is also possible that through serosorting or using information about a potential partner's serostatus to inform sexual decision-making (e.g., strategic positioning), an HIV positive person may forestall legal repercussions in cases of inadvertent transmission. Currently, states with laws criminalizing transmission of HIV require "proof of intent" in spreading HIV in order to prosecute.
While HIV is rarely intentionally spread, and a there is a plethora of evidence that most HIV positive individuals take great care to avoid transmitting the virus, it is important to consider the concerns positive people may have about the cultural implications -- and in this case the possible legal penalties -- of transmission. Those bent on prosecution could argue that by having sex with someone who is known to be HIV negative, the HIV positive partner assumes greater liability for transmitting the virus, despite mutual consent and measures taken to reduce risk. Gay men in particular, who may be more aware of the policing of sex (e.g., the history of sodomy laws), may use serosorting as a way to reduce the possibility of legal repercussions due to accidental transmission.
Serosorting and Stigma
Some HIV positive individuals find that serosorting helps to alleviate the discomfort and potential rejection sometimes associated with disclosure, and seeking sexual partners through venues (such as Web sites) specifically designed for finding HIV positive peers dramatically decreases the likelihood of meeting partners who turn out to be HIV negative. However, relying on passive serosorting -- providing information that allows potential partners to serosort -- puts positive individuals at greater risk for the possible repercussions associated with being open about one's HIV status, such as loss of medical confidentiality and possible discrimination.
In addition, while some people find that serosorting reinforces a sense of community and connectedness by helping them to meet others who intimately understand life with HIV, critics point out that fostering community through serosorting may widen rifts between positive and negative people. Choosing to develop relationships or have sex exclusively with same-status people may dramatically limit an individual's pool of prospective partners and social contacts. The divisive potential of serosorting has been of particular concern within the gay community.
Risks for HIV Positive Individuals
While some HIV positive individuals may feel that unprotected sex with positive partners is "safe," STIs and dual infection are two potential concerns.
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Any increase in unprotected sex raises the odds of contracting STIs, which can have particularly grave implications for individuals with compromised immune systems. For example, bacterial STIs (such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis) and viral STIs (including hepatitis A, B, or C, herpes simplex 2, and human papillomavirus), all transmissible through unprotected sex, can produce more severe symptoms in HIV positive people. In a positive individual, for example, untreated syphilis has a greater potential to spread to the nervous system and cause significant damage or death.
Additionally, HIV positive women are at increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and other serious complications related to gonorrhea or chlamydia infections; PID can lead to infertility or complications with pregnancy.
Miriam Alter, M.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that among HIV positive people worldwide, two million to four million are chronically infected with hepatitis B (HBV) and an estimated four million to five million are chronically infected with hepatitis C (HCV). Viral hepatitis is of particular concern for HIV positive individuals because of the threat of liver inflammation. Antiretroviral therapy can be hard on the liver, and hepatitis co-infection increases the likelihood of liver damage. For HIV positive individuals who consume large amounts of alcohol, this becomes a triple burden on the liver, as heavy alcohol consumption can cause fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Hepatitis A (HAV) is transmitted through contact with feces, which in a sexual context may occur during oral sex or rimming (oral-anal sex), or through putting hands or sex toys near the mouth after they have come in contact with even a small amount of fecal matter. HBV is transmitted through contact with blood, semen, and vaginal fluid, which may occur during unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Even if a partner does not ejaculate during unprotected sex, HBV may be transmitted via microscopic tears in the rectal or vaginal lining.
HCV is known to be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact (e.g., sharing needles or other equipment for injecting drugs). At this point, it is unclear how frequently HCV is sexually transmitted. Studies indicate that the likelihood of transmission between monogamous heterosexual partners is very low (less than 5%); the risk is higher among men who have sex with men and individuals with multiple sex partners, as illustrated by recent outbreaks of apparently sexually transmitted HCV among HIV positive gay and bisexual men in the United Kingdom and Europe. In these cases, HCV infection was associated with unprotected anal intercourse, fisting, rimming, and the presence of other STIs. In fact, HIV infection itself appears to increase the risk of HCV transmission. Individuals infected with HCV and HAV or HBV are at greater risk for severe liver damage, and current CDC guidelines recommend that people with HCV and/or HIV -- as well as all men who have sex with men -- be vaccinated against HAV and HBV (there is currently no vaccine for HCV).
Research has shown that HIV positive women and men are more likely to be infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) than their HIV negative counterparts and are more likely to develop precancerous cervical or anal cell changes caused by certain strains of HPV (other strains cause genital and anal warts). According to Joel Palefsky, M.D., an HPV researcher at the University of California at San Francisco, the prevalence of oral, anal, or vaginal HPV infection in HIV positive individuals increases progressively with declining CD4 cell counts.
The risk of cervical, anal, genital, or oral cancer due to HPV is a major concern for HIV positive persons, in particular those with more serious immunosuppression. HIV positive individuals -- especially those who have sex without condoms -- should have regular sexual health check-ups, including Pap smears, which can detect precancerous cell changes at a treatable stage. Cervical Pap smears are part of routine health care for HIV positive and negative women alike; anal Pap smears are not yet considered routine for HIV positive individuals, but some experts believe they should be.
Along with their other damaging consequences, certain STIs (e.g., herpes simplex 2) can also increase the likelihood of contracting or transmitting HIV, and STI treatment therefore can serve as a strategy for preventing new HIV infections (see "New Approaches to HIV Prevention").
HIV Dual Infection
HIV dual infection, or superinfection, has emerged as a concern for HIV positive people who practice serosorting in order to have unprotected sex. It is a common perception that once a person has become HIV positive, he or she no longer needs to worry about HIV infection and is essentially free of major risks from unprotected sex with other HIV positive individuals. Health officials have cautioned that reinfection may occur with new, possibly drug-resistant strains of HIV, which can further weaken the immune system, hasten disease progression, and potentially limit treatment options.
The scenario is as follows: An individual has HIV Strain A, which is resistant to Drug 1, and becomes infected with his partner's Strain B, which is resistant to Drugs 2 and 3. At this point, some researchers suggest, a recombinant Strain C may emerge that is resistant to all three drugs. Hence, dual infection can drastically limit antiretroviral treatment options -- potentially rendering multiple drug classes less potent or even ineffective for reinfected individuals.
There were widespread reports in 2005 about a gay man in New York City who progressed to AIDS in a matter of months and was unresponsive to most antiretroviral drugs (see "News Briefs," BETA, Summer 2005). While some health officials and community members initially speculated that the man might have an aggressive "superstrain" of HIV, Geoffrey Gottlieb, M.D., and David Nickle, M.D., of the University of Washington School of Medicine suggested in a letter to The Lancet that it might actually be a case of dual infection.
Although investigators have to date been unable to determine whether the New York man was simultaneously infected with multiple strains or did indeed represent a case of reinfection, other research groups have reported on cases with clearer evidence. In the August 12, 2005, issue of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Davey Smith, M.D., of the University of California at San Diego and colleagues reported that a man with wild-type (drug-sensitive) HIV had apparently been reinfected with a strain resistant to protease inhibitors, which he had never taken. In an earlier case reported by the same researchers, an individual was first diagnosed with a drug-resistant strain and was found some months later to also have wild-type HIV despite not having taken antiretroviral drugs before the transmission event that presumably caused the reinfection.
Researchers are still uncertain about the risk of dual HIV infection, since the number of documented cases remains small (fewer than 20) and it appears to occur only under specific circumstances (e.g., during acute or early infection). However, the possibility of reinfection with a drug-resistant strain means that HIV positive individuals who practice condomless sex with positive partners may not be entirely free of risk. (For more information on reinfection, see "Dual HIV Infection" in the Winter 2006 issue of BETA.)
Risks for HIV Negative Individuals
In addition to the risk posed by STIs, serosorting for the purpose of condomless sex involves a very serious danger: the possibility that a presumed negative partner may actually have acute HIV infection. The standard HIV antibody screening test checks for antibodies against HIV, which are naturally produced by the body. However, the immune system typically takes one to three months -- and in rare cases as long as six months -- to develop detectable quantities of antibodies (the hallmark of seroconversion).
As people who have had an HIV test may recall hearing from a doctor or counselor, the antibody test will not detect HIV infection during this "window period." A supposedly HIV negative person who has, in fact, been recently infected with HIV may receive a negative test result but still be capable of transmitting the virus. Indeed, HIV viral load skyrockets during acute infection, as the body has yet to produce enough antibodies to keep the virus (relatively) in check, and researchers believe that newly infected individuals are more infectious during this period than they will be during long-term, chronic infection.
This presents a significant problem for HIV negative people who rely on serosorting in order to have unprotected sex. While the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which detects actual HIV genetic material, is better at detecting acute infection, this test is expensive and its use is limited in most health-care settings. As critics have pointed out, the effectiveness of serosorting as a risk-reduction strategy relies on the accuracy of an individual's disclosure of his or her HIV status. A prospective partner may, in all good faith, claim to be negative, yet unknowingly be capable of passing the virus on to others.
A significant proportion of people practicing serosorting who think they are HIV negative or do not truly know their status may, in fact, be HIV positive. In the vast majority of studies in which investigators have asked participants for self-reported HIV status and then conducted follow-up blood screening, those who were unsure of their HIV status overwhelmingly tended to be positive.
As serosorting becomes more commonplace, conversations in which a person discloses his or her HIV status before sex may become the norm. Perhaps individuals unsure of their status will be more likely to seek out HIV testing as peers and partners emphasize the need to know HIV status for certain.
Conclusion: Public Health and Personal Responsibility
Serosorting has implicitly been a major component of prevention strategies over the past ten years to reduce the spread of HIV. The "Knowing is Beautiful" campaign -- which stressed the importance of testing and asking partners about their HIV status -- is an example of an implicit message about serosorting. While this campaign and others like it do not suggest that individuals should only have relationships with people of the same serostatus, they do assume that if HIV positive people are aware of a partner's negative status, they will take steps to ensure that the virus is not transmitted. Another example can be seen in recent advertisements that show two men with the captions, "He'd tell me if he's positive" and "He'd tell me if he's negative."
Public health efforts that implicitly encourage serosorting, or suggest that HIV positive people can reduce the risk of spreading the virus by engaging in strategic sexual positioning, reflect what appears to be a shift in responsibility for HIV prevention. The prevention messages of the 1980s and 1990s -- which encouraged all individuals to "use a condom every time" -- proved to be less realistic and effective than initially expected. Such efforts were followed by a focus on "secondary prevention," attempting to prevent new infections by empowering and shifting responsibility to HIV positive people; this approach, too, may not have been as effective as originally anticipated.
Serosorting distributes responsibility among HIV positive and negative individuals alike. Any move toward encouragement of serosorting appears to suggest that both partners are responsible in a way that "use a condom every time" and secondary prevention did not.
However, serosorting for unprotected sex can still be a risky endeavor for both HIV positive and HIV negative people. Individuals who serosort specifically in order to enjoy unprotected sex should be aware that serosorting, while potentially offering public health benefits, does not guarantee personal safety for either partner.
Daniel Siconolfi is a research assistant at the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies and an M.P.H. candidate in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University.
Robert Moeller is a project director at the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University.
Selected Sources
Alter, M. Epidemiology of viral hepatitis and HIV coinfection. Journal of Hepatology 44(suppl 1):S6-S9. 2006.
Cairns, G. New direction in HIV prevention: serosorting and universal testing. IAPAC Monthly 12(2):42-45. February 2006.
Cameron, J. and others. The impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy and immunodeficiency on human papillomavirus infection of the oral cavity of human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive adults. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 32(11):703-9. November 2005.
Gottlieb, G. and D. Nickle. Multidrug-resistant, dualtropic HIV-1 and rapid progression. The Lancet 365(9475):1923-24. June 4, 2005.
Heredia, C. A serosorting story: Dating within HIV positive or negative population has reduced the HIV infection rate in San Francisco. San Francisco Chronicle. February 12, 2006.
Monroe, A. STDs and HIV: Community forum summary. October 2000. www.thebody.com/cria/forums/stds.html; accessed November 12, 2006.
Palefsky, J. Biology of HPV and HIV infection. Advanced Dental Research 19:99-105. April 2006.
Smith, D. and others. HIV drug resistance acquired through superinfection. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 19(12):1251-56. August 12, 2005.
Szymanski, Z. HIV campaigns spark debate. Bay Area Reporter 36(45). November 9, 2006.
Torian, L. and others. Investigation of a new diagnosis of multidrug-resistant, dual-tropic HIV-1 infection- New York City, 2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 55(29):793-96. July 28, 2006.
Truong, H.-H. and others. Increases in sexually transmitted infections and sexual risk behaviour without a concurrent increase in HIV incidence among men who have sex with men in San Francisco: a suggestion of HIV serosorting? Sexually Transmitted Infections 82:461-66. December 2006.


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CSU Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program
(formerly Forgivable Loan Program)
The purpose of the Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) is to increase the pool of individuals who show promise of becoming strong candidates for CSU instructional faculty positions by providing financial assistance to doctoral students with the motivation, skills, and experience needed to teach the diverse student body in the CSU. It is a competitive program directed by the California State University but open to doctoral students across the country.
Through this program the California State University offers loans and faculty sponsorship to full-time doctoral students who are interested in a teaching career at a CSU campus. Specifically, the program provides:
- Loans of up to $10,000 per year up to a total of $30,000
- Loan Forgiveness: 20 percent of the loan is forgiven for each year of full-time postdoctoral teaching in the CSU.
- Part-time postdoctoral teaching in the CSU may also be considered for partial loan forgiveness.
- Faculty sponsorship from a CSU faculty member.
For details on eligibility, selection criteria and the role of the faculty sponsor, visit the CSU systemwide FLP website.
For an application or to discuss the program, contact David Hartranft email@example.com in the SSU Graduate Studies office, 1041 Stevenson Hall, (707) 664-2237.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the website of conservation tourism pioneer Wilderness Holdings Limited.
Listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on 8 April 2010, Wilderness Holdings Limited is the holding company for many of Africa's premier ecotourism brands.
Since its beginnings in 1983, Wilderness Holdings Limited has become widely recognised as one the world's foremost responsible tourism businesses.


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Boston paramedic indicted on charges he stole drugs from his ambulance
Brian Benoit, 40, of South Boston, faces arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court on charges he stole the contents of 106 vials and syringes loaded with painkillers and sedatives in late summer, 2011, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.
The city offered drug screening to 57 people who received shots from the tampered containers, which contained fentanyl, lorazepam, midazolam or morphine. Benoit was suspended from his job earlier this year, after an investigation by Boston EMS and police tied him to the alleged thefts. The DA's office says Benoit agreed to be tested for communicable diseases, and was found to be clean.
According to the DA's office, Benoit was formally charged with "one count of larceny by scheme and 26 counts of larceny of a controlled substance for allegedly stealing prescription painkillers and sedatives from more than 100 vials and syringes; 24 counts of creating a counterfeit substance for allegedly replacing some of those medications with other clear liquids; and 22 counts of manufacturing Class B, Class C, and Class E controlled substances for allegedly replacing some of those medications with different liquids, transforming the contents into different or diluted controlled substances."
Benoit received a Boston EMS citation for helping to grab and secure a suicidal man threatening to jump off the Mass. Ave. Bridge in May, 2011.
Innocent, etc.


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Machine Shop Certificate
Experience hands-on training with the operation of machine shop equipment, including drill press, lathe and milling machines. These courses provide a range of opportunities to improve your theoretical knowledge and hands-on practical skills. The courses will be of interest to those considering a career as a machinist, individuals wanting to develop professionally and hobbyists who want to gain manual machining skills for their projects. Students who take Machine Shop courses receive expert instruction and utilize tools and equipment in the fully outfitted Sandvik Coromant Centre for Machining.
A NAIT Machine Shop Certificate will be issued upon successful completion of MACH101, MACH105, MACH110 and MACH115. Please fax the completed Request for Certification Form (pdf) to Continuing Education at 780.471.8993 or to the Registrar's Office at 780.471.8490.
NAIT Machine Shop courses (MACH101 and MACH105) are prerequisites for the Gunsmithing Courses.
Career Opportunities
Students who take these courses may find their training helps to create avenues into the machinist trade, including opportunities at machine shops. Students may also branch out into other areas, such as quality control and tool and die.
Program Outline
|Course ID
|Machine Shop I
|Machine Shop II
|Machine Shop III
|Machine Shop IV


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There are some people who are getting too fake here on DA. They only want posts, comments, or to see how many friends they can get. So let's see who will actually re-post this. This is a test to see who's paying attention. This is a test to see how many people in my friend list actually pay attention. Copy and re-post in your own bulletin. Let's see who the true friends are... Re-post this if you are a friend... Don't reply... Just copy and paste this in a new journal as "Fake Friends"
stole it from my friend: puddycat who stole it from hayagashi


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(Redirected from Mouth)Jump to navigation Jump to search
Mouths are a part of the anatomy constituting the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and saliva. In addition to its primary role as the beginning of the digestive system, in humans the mouth also plays a significant role in communication. While primary aspects of the voice are produced in the throat, the tongue, lips, and jaw are also needed to produce the range of sounds included in human language. Another non-digestive function of the mouth is its role in secondary social and/or sexual activity, such as kissing and other sexual purposes involving sucking and blowing.
- Some asked me where the rubies grew,
And nothing I did say,
But with my finger pointed to
The lips of Julia.
- Robert Herrick, The Rock of Rubies, and the Quarrie of Pearls. reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 534.
- Lips are no part of the head, only made for a double-leaf door for the mouth.
- John Lyly, Midas. reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 534.
- He had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
- John of Patmos, in the opening chapter of the Book of Revelation, 1:16.
- Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
- Psalm 141:3 (KJV).
- Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.
- William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor (published 1602), Act I, scene 1. Theobald's reading is "mind." Pope changed "mouth" to "mind".
- Her lips were red, and one was thin,
Compared to that was next her chin,
(Some bee had stung it newly).
- Sir John Suckling, A Ballad Upon a Wedding, Stanza 11. reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 534.
- The artistic mouth recites words; the harsh mouth brings litigation documents; the sweet mouth gathers sweet herbs.
- Šuruppak, Instructions of Shuruppak (3rd millennium BCE). [1]
- With that she dasht her on the lippes,
So dyed double red;
Hard was the heart that gave the blow,
Soft were those lippes that bled.
- William Warner, Albion's England (published 1612), Book VIII, Chapter XLI, Stanza 53.
- As a pomegranate, cut in twain,
White-seeded is her crimson mouth.
- Oscar Wilde, La Bella Donna della Mia Mente.


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By David Parsley2017-12-06T08:14:00
Schroder European Real Estate Investment Trust has revealed a 13% rise in net asset value (NAV) for the year to the end of September.
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Evicted from his office by the noisy Isle of Wight Festival today, the Ranger instead spent the day on a tour of the Osborne Estate, Queen Victoria's island retreat, still lovingly maintained much as she left it. Just occasionally there are privileges associated with being a Ranger, and today was one of those rare moments. Although Osborne is a fantastic visit for the paying guest – highly recommended, if you're wondering – much of the estate is not open to the public, and so this was the first time the Ranger had ever been around many of the quieter corners of this royal estate, including Queen Victoria's own beach at Osborne Bay, one of the very few private beaches on the Solent. It was an extraordinary experience. A few images will perhaps serve to convey a little of the splendour of that isolated cove. Apologies to those who subscribe by email but if you want to see them you're just going to have look at the webpage.
The public have no access here


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As we come tonight to prepare for a time around the Lord's table, as always it's such a wonderful time to share together and I want you to turn in your Bible to Philippians chapter 2. We're just going to look at Philippians chapter 2 in this tremendous portion of Scripture as a setting for the Lord's table tonight. And I've chosen Philippians chapter 2 because it connects so well to what we're looking at in the mornings. We are studying the birth of Jesus in the gospel of Luke and this morning we gave the first message and got into that first seven verses in which the birth of Christ is described. Next Sunday we'll finish those seven verses and gather the earthly view, if you will, the historical view of the birth of Christ.
But the view of the birth of Christ from earth, from the vantage point of the Roman world, the vantage point of Israel, the vantage point of Joseph and Mary is only part of the story...only part of the story. And Philippians, to me, is an interesting book. There's another sort of heavenly perspective in the book of Philippians and that's in the third chapter of Philippians where you have the inside story of the conversion of Paul. The historical story is in Acts 9. If you go to Acts 9 you read about Paul, he's got letters to persecute Christians, he's on his way to the city of Damascus to persecute the believers that are there on the road to Damascus. Tells us what happened, a great light shines, he becomes blind, he falls down in the dirt and he's called by the Lord. He's converted and he's basically called an Apostle. That whole thing is described for us as to the narrative of the actual events that went on on earth.
But if you want to know the heavenly view of Paul, if you want to know what God was doing in his heart, you go to Philippians chapter 3 and he describes what was going on in his heart when he says, "All his life he had accumulated certain works and certain privileges as a Jew and a member of the tribe of Benjamin and a Pharisee and being zealous for the law, all of that. But all of that is considered to be manure or dung, waste, refuse when he found out the reality about Jesus Christ and exchanged his own righteousness for the righteousness of God, and so forth. So you get the inside story, you get the heavenly view, you get the theology of the conversion of Paul in Philippians. You get the narrative in the book of Acts.
Well also the same is true in chapter 2 of Philippians. It corresponds to Luke chapter 2 in the sense that it gives us the inside story of the historical events that were going on at the birth of Jesus Christ. It's one thing to say Joseph and Mary came down there, Mary had a baby, the baby was born in Bethlehem, the baby was laid in a manger and wrapped in cloths because there was no room at the inn. Go on to tell about the shepherds that came. Go on a little later and hear the story of the wise men and so forth. That's the earthly view, that's the narrative, that's the historical story. The real story of the birth of Christ is to see it from heaven's perspective, what was really going on there theologically, and that's what you find in Philippians chapter 2 more clearly than any other passage of Scripture. So Philippians chapter 2 is the theology of the incarnation, whereas Luke 2 is the history of it.
Let me read to you Philippians chapter 2 verse 6 and following. We have to have an antecedent for verse 6 so we pick it up at verse 5, "Christ Jesus," now we know who we're talking about. "Christ Jesus who although He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, also, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."
Now that is the classic text on the kenosis, the self-emptying of Jesus. That is the classic text on the theology of the incarnation...what was actually going on there when that little baby was born, what was going on from heaven's vantage point.
And there's a sequence here and I want to take you through five steps that occurred in the incarnation. Five steps as God became man, as God entered the world to be born in Bethlehem. You might say that in reality this is the real Christmas story, this is what was actually happening. I'll give you five little brief statements that I hope will be somewhat memorable so you can identify them as we go.
First of all, God abandoned a sovereign position. The second person of the trinity God, the second person abandoned a sovereign position. Verse 6 says, "Although He existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself," that's the first point. When the Lord came into this world He abandoned a sovereign position.
Now the theme here is...who...and who takes you back to Christ Jesus. He is the theme of this passage. And it identifies, first of all, His sovereign position by saying this, "Who existed in the form of God." That is a very important phrase, that is loaded with essential theological truth. Actually "being in the form of God," or "existing in the form of God," may serve the verb better than "He existed," as if it was some past thing and a past thing alone, but rather "being in the form of God" would be perhaps a better way to translate it.
Being denotes what a person is in his essence, in his being, what cannot be changed. Taking it from the standpoint of the human world, you can do a lot of things to yourself. In fact, today you can just about do anything you want to yourself. You can have plastic surgery on everything. You can have your shape and form changed. You can have your face altered. You can have hair implanted into your head. There's just no end to the things they can do to change your appearance, but there's nothing anybody can do to change your essence as human. You cannot become anything other than a human being. Essence is that which cannot be changed, it's that which you possess inalienably, it's something that cannot be taken away from you, something that cannot be altered. That's your being, that's your existence. It refers to your innate, unalterable, unchangeable character, nature or ability. It describes that part of a person which in spite of all the chances that they might take, of all of the opportunities they might grasp, of all the changes they might undergo, of all the circumstances they might experience, they remain essentially the same. They can be single, they can be married, they can be widowed, they can be divorced, etc., etc. They can be rich, they can be poor, they can be wise, they can be foolish. They can be fast. They can be slow. Those things do not alter basic human essence. You can be healthy, you can be ill. You can be whole, you can be lame.
And so we're talking here about essential being. And what it says here, very importantly, is that Jesus in His essential being was in the form of God, He was existing in the form of God. He has always, is always, will always exist in the form of God. That's why He could say in John 8:58 to the Jews, "Before Abraham was, I am." He is the brightness of the Father. He is the express image of God. He is literally the One who it says in the book of Hebrews could be described as the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of God's nature, or essence or being. And, of course, that is essential to the Christian faith. Colossians 1:15 reminds us, He is the image, literally the replica, the duplicate of the invisible God. First Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 tells us that He who was revealed in the flesh was vindicated in the Spirit, beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world and taken up to glory. It was He, God, who was revealed in the flesh and eventually after that fleshly time was over, was gathered back into the glory which He had from eternity past with the Father in His presence.
Now the rest of the phrase enforces this. Look at the word "form," if you will, there. His essence was in the form of God. Unfortunately the English word "form" doesn't do it. When you think of the English word "form" you might think of a piece of paper that's a form you need to fill out. Or you might think of a form that is used as a mold, to put something in and it comes out a mold replicating that form. The Greek word is really different in the sense that the word is morphe and morphe refers to the deep inner essential abiding nature of something. When we say "form" we could be meaning that He came in the form of something but He wasn't really that. But the Greek term morphe means the essential nature of something.
There's another word in Greek that refers to something that is merely an appearance on the outside and that's the Greek word schema from which we get the word "scheme." It's used down in verse 8 and it says "In being found in appearance as a man," He took on the appearance of a man. That's what people saw. That wasn't the real essence of who He was, but that's what people saw and they said, "Well, this is just a man, this is just the son of Joseph, this is just a guy from Nazareth, what's so important about him?" Schema refers to the external appearance, it refers to something that can change. And the schema, the appearance of Jesus, did change dramatically after His resurrection when He received a glorified form in which He still exists. But morphe refers to something that is innate, inherent to the inner essential abiding nature of the individual. Morphe, for example, is the word used in 2 Corinthians 3:18 where it says we are transformed into the same image, the image of the Lord from one level of glory to the next. Literally, we take on His nature, an abiding change in nature takes place. Galatians 4:19, Paul was praying that Christ would be fully formed in us. He used the word morphe. He wants to see the complete reality of the living Christ in the inner life of believers. That's morphe. Schema is used, for example, in 1 Corinthians 7:31 and it translated "the fashion of this world." The appearances of this world. Satan, schema, Satan fashions himself, 2 Corinthians 11:14, to an angel of light. He...he looks like an angel of light on the outside but essentially he's the angel of darkness, isn't he? That's the difference between the word schema and the word morphe.
Jesus was in the morphe of God. He was literally in the form, the essential being and nature of God. That's the first and very essential thing to understand. And follow what it says in verse 6. "Consequently He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped."
Now what did I say about your essential being and what did I say about your morphe? I said this, that it is that part of you which is unchangeable, right? Unalterable, permanent, it's your essential being. You can change the forms on the outside, the schema on the outside, but the true reality of your essential being is unchangeable. Jesus existed in the morphe of God, unchangeably so. He can never be anything but God. Therefore He did not regard equality with God something to hold on to. What does that mean? Two things it means. The word can literally mean to snatch something. It wasn't as if He saw equality with God and wanted to snatch it. It wasn't as if He saw equality with God and wanted to grasp it, clutch it. It can be translated "to clutch...to snatch...to seize." He didn't have to somehow go after equality with God to get it. He didn't have to snatch it or seize it. He didn't have to fight to get it. He already had it, it was His essential nature.
Also, it's true to say He didn't have to grasp it. That word can be translated that way. It wasn't something He had to hold on to for fear He might lose it. It might have been that somebody would think...Well, if Jesus came into the world and gave up His divine prerogatives in heaven with God and He came all the way down here He might forfeit what He had, He might somehow lose His privileges, He might somehow lose His deity. Couldn't happen. Deity, eternal godhood was not something He had to snatch to make His own and it wasn't something He had to hold on to for the fear of losing it because neither could happen. It was already His essential nature. This is the heart of all Christian doctrine, folks, this is at the heart of the whole Christian faith that Jesus Christ is eternally God. He doesn't need to seize upon Godhood, nor does He need to clutch it as something He might lose because it is His by essential nature.
The remarkable thing, the really amazing thing is that even though although He was a being who was in every sense God and didn't need to either seize it or hang on to it, He still...verse 7...emptied Himself. One of the translators says, "He made Himself of no reputation." "Empty Himself" is better. He emptied Himself. That's what the Greek means. That's where we get the idea of kenosis. And the verb actually means to pour out until it's all gone, to empty it, to dump it all out.
Now what did He dump out? Well one thing we know He didn't dump out was His essential nature, right?, because it was unalterable. When He came into the world He was still God, He'll always be God, that cannot change. What did He pour out? He stripped Himself of privileges, not nature. And He changed His form, His schema on the outside. He changed His appearance, having been up to that point a spirit who on occasion appeared in the Old Testament as an angel, He now takes on the appearance of a man, as verse 8 indicates. This did nothing to His deity, didn't change His deity, didn't alter His deity in any way, shape or form. That would be impossible because that is His essential nature. He remained fully God, but He stripped Himself, He emptied Himself, He poured out until it was all gone. And what was it that He poured out? Well, first of all, John 17:4 indicates that He poured out His glory. When He came down to this earth it was a really inglorious arrival, wasn't it? He was laid in a manger. He was the child of a humble teen-aged girl. His earthly father was a humble, young man who was a carpenter. He was born in obscurity. Lived most of His life in an obscure, out-of-the-way place. He gave up the unimaginable glories of heaven for that. Isaiah 53:3 says, "He gave up something of His beauty, in fact He became so ugly, as it were, that there was no beauty in Him that we should desire Him," Isaiah says. He's depicting Christ in His excruciating agony, hanging on the cross having no human attraction. He gave up the right to enjoy all the riches of eternal glory. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 it says He became poor for our sakes that we might become rich. It doesn't mean He became poor in an earthly way. It doesn't mean He didn't have a lot of money down here, didn't have a lot of wealth. That isn't what it's talking about. When it says He became poor, it means He stripped Himself of some of His eternal riches. He sent the Messiah to come and submit Himself to earthly conditions. And this is poverty at its worst level compared with the riches of eternal glory.
He also gave up His favorable relationship with God to the degree that on the cross He had to say, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Repeatedly it tells us, particularly in the gospel of John, that He gave up the independent exercise of His attributes. He makes the statement on a number of occasions that He only did what the Father told Him to do, He only did what the Father showed Him to do. And He also said that if you say anything against My ministry, you're blaspheming the Holy Spirit, Matthew chapter 12. Now blaspheming the Holy Spirit because He submitted Himself to the work of the Holy Spirit, so He literally submitted Himself, He set aside the independent free exercise of all His attributes. He didn't lose His attributes, none of them. He didn't cease to be God a very God, but He set aside the independent exercise of those attributes and yielded to the will of the Father in the power of the Spirit in His incarnation. He was still God but He restricted the use of His rights and privileges and powers voluntarily.
John Milton said, "That glorious form, that light insufferable He laid aside and here with us to be forsook the courts of everlasting day and chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay." That's exactly what He did.
A reporter was interviewing a successful job counselor. And this job counselor had placed hundreds of people in jobs, vocations and he had had a great success rate. So he was asked by this reporter, "Why are you so successful in placing people in strategic positions in leadership as a job counselor?"
And he answered, and I think this is really wisdom. He said, "If you want to find out what a person's like, don't give him responsibilities, give him privileges." Boy, that's wise.
Most people will handle responsibilities if you pay them enough. But it takes a real leader with real character to handle privileges. A leader will use his privileges to help others and build the organization. He'll work hard and he'll sacrifice. A lesser person will use privileges to promote himself and fulfill his own desires. That's great wisdom.
Jesus had all the privileges, no question, all the privileges, all the privileges of glory. And He chose to use the privilege to become a servant to the Father and a Savior to sinners for the sake of sinners and the sake of the glory of the Father. He's like a king who takes off his robes, takes off his crown, comes down off his throne, puts on the rags of a slave.
So, first of all, as I gave you the first point, He abandoned a sovereign position. No less deity, but He stepped down from the independent use of those attributes of deity.
Secondly, not only did He abandon a sovereign position, He accepted a servant's place...He accepted a servant's place. Verse 7 says, "Having emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant." Here's morphe again. He didn't just look like a servant, He really became one. His essential being in humanity, His essential being even as God was to be a servant. At the moment that He divested Himself of the robes of majesty, at the moment that He set His crown down and walked out of the throne room, He donned the apron of a servant. He is a servant, according to Isaiah 52:13 and 14, He's a suffering servant. Psalm 40 verses 7 and 8 said the Messiah would be a servant. He wasn't just playing at a servant, He wasn't just pretending to be a servant. Listen, if anybody was ever a servant, He was a servant. He took upon the morphe, the essential inner essence, the very being of a servant. He, the sovereign master of the universe, became the true servant of God. As truly as He was God, so truly was He a servant of God. Luke 22:27 He said, "I am in the midst of you as one who serves." Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom for many." He depicted that so dramatically in John 13, of course, when He washed the feet of the disciples. He was truly in every sense a real servant. So, when you think about the birth of Christ, you think about the incarnation, you think about how He abandoned the sovereign position and accepted a servant's place and literally His servants...His service was so real, so essential, so innate that He gave His life to serve the purposes of the Father and the needs of sinners.
Thirdly, He not only abandoned the sovereign position, accepted a servant's place, He approached a sinful people...He approached a sinful people. Well this, too, is part of His condescension. You could understand that an infinitely holy God would have no desire whatsoever to associate with a sinful people. But having divested Himself of His majesty, having taken on the role of a servant, and more than that, literally having become a servant, His service to the Father was rendered by coming to this sin-cursed planet, approaching a sinful people. That's what He did. It says in verse 7, at the end of the verse, "Being made in the likeness of men." "Being made," ginomainos(??), participle meaning "becoming...becoming." It speaks of a state which is changeable, which is not necessarily permanent. It's a change. That's very important because He already was who He was as God, this was a change...He became something He had never been before, and that was a man...a man. Always God He became, at some point, a man. It says He was being made in the likeness of men. That is simply to say He was like other men. The first part of that word is homo which is like, homogenous. He was like other men. He had all the essential attributes of humanity. He was a genuine man. He was a true man. He was a real human being. He was made in the likeness. He was made like men. And it says, verse 8, "He was found in appearance as a man." That's schema. He not only looked like a man, He really was a man. It's important that if all you had was verse 8, schema, you might think that He just took on the appearance of a man but wasn't really a man. That's why it's important to see the end of verse 7, "He actually was made in the very likeness of man." He became one of us, true humanness, just like other men. And He looked like other men. Not only inwardly, essentially was He human, but outwardly He was human as well. I like that little verb "being found," it means to discover. People discovered that He was in the schemata, the fashion, the outward manifestation of men. He looked like everybody else, frankly. If you think that Jesus was going down the street with some kind of multiple halos around His head like the rings on Saturn, you're wrong. If you think He sort of glided through town three feet off the ground, you're wrong. He was just a man like every other man in appearance. He took on the schema of man.
Apart from sin, and may I hurry and add to you the very important note that sin is not a necessary element of humanity. Was there ever a man who lived without sin? Was there? What was his name? Adam, Eve...of course, Jesus, but talking about just those who were not God, there was a time when man lived without sin. It's not essential to the nature of man to sin. He was like other men. He was fully God and He was fully man without sin.
How do men come into the world? Are they born into the world by means of an earthly mother? So was He. In His day they were wrapped in little cloths, so was He. Did men start out as babies and then become toddlers and then become little boys and then grow to teen-agers and then become adults? So did He. Do men born into this world have brothers and sisters? So did He. Do men born in this world find some path of employment, learn a trade? So did He. Are men hungry and thirsty and weary and sleepy? So was He. Men in this world find friends and people to care for them and love them? So did He. Are men grieved and sometimes angry, do they weep at times? So did He. Do they sometimes rejoice? So did He. Are men destined to die? So was He. You see, in every way He was in the appearance of a man because He was essentially and genuinely a man.
You know that little Christmas carol, "The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying He makes." I don't buy that. Do babies cry? He was without sin, not without tears. Listen to the words of a poet. "Hast thou been hungry, child of mine? I too have needed bread. For forty days I tasted not till by Thy angels fed. Hast thou been thirsty? On the cross I suffered thirst, for thee I've promised to supply thy need, come to Me. When thou art sad and tears fall fast, My heart goes out to thee for I wept o'er Jerusalem, the place so dear to Me. And when I came to Lazarus' tomb, I wept, My heart was sore. I'll comfort you when you weep till sorrows are all o'er."
And, you know, the world recognizes humanness. They just didn't recognize His deity. He came as a man to serve God and man. Laid aside His privileges as God, abandoned a sovereign position, accepted a servant's place, approached a sinful people, and number four, adopted a selfless posture.
Once He got here as a man, He could have taken on a number of possible postures in life. He could have chosen any level of society. He could have put Himself in any situation. He could have been born into the families of the highest and best, the greatest and noblest. But He adopted a selfless posture. Back to verse 8, it says, "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself...He humbled Himself." He ends u in a little carpenter shop working alongside His father, Joseph, making a yoke for the oxen of a farmer. He was the one who made the universe. We find Him washing the feet of the Twelve and yet He commands the hosts of ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands and thousands of angels. He adopted a selfless posture. You see that even in His birth and we'll see that next Sunday morning. In the humblest, humblest circumstances He was born. To the most non-descript people, commonest of people, He takes the place of selfless humility.
One of the great writers in the history of the church, St. Augustin, or Augustine, seemed always enamored with the humility of Jesus, and rightly so and wrote eloquently of it. Listen to what he said, "The Word of the Father by whom all time was created was made flesh and was born in time for us. He without whose divine permission no day completes its course wish to have one day for His human birth. In the bosom of His Father He existed before all the cycles of ages, born of an earthly mother He entered upon the course of the years. The maker of man became man that He, ruler of the stars, might be nourished at the breast, that He the bread might be hungry, that He the fountain might thirst, that He the light might sleep, that He the way might be weary by the journey, that He the truth might be accused by false witnesses, that He the judge of the living and the dead might be brought to trial by a mortal judge, that He justice might be condemned by the unjust, that He discipline might be scourged with whips, that He the foundation might be suspended on a cross, that He courage might be weakened, that He security might be wounded, that He life might die. To endure these and similar indignities for us, to free us, unworthy creatures, He who existed as the Son of God before all ages without a beginning, deigned to become the Son of Man in these recent years. He did this although He who submitted to great evils for our sake had done no evil, and although who were the recipients of so much good at His hands had done nothing to merit these benefits," end quote.
He humbled Himself. How far down did He go? Look at the verse again. "All the way down to becoming obedient unto death." All the way down to death. That was the Father's will that He come into the world and die in the place of sinners. He stooped not just to live in a humble home, not just to be the child of poor parents, or at least parents who weren't wealthy. He came all the way down below economic considerations, all the way down to serious and spiritual and moral considerations. He came down to become shamed, to become cursed. He was made accursed for us, it says in Galatians. He received the full fury of the judgment of God upon Him. He came all the way down, all the way down to death. And not just humbled, and not just to death, but look at this, "Even death on a cross." The Apostle Paul in writing this descends one more level because nothing was more horrible...horrifying, nothing was more ignominious, nothing was more cruel than to be executed on the cross. The worst torture instrument ever dreamed up by anybody. Those who write about crucifixion write about its excruciating pain. It was said that a person who was crucified died at least a thousand times. Not only was it painful but it was shameful. It was reserved for the death of the vilest, the most despised, hanging there in utter disgrace, humiliation, shame and nakedness. And death on the cross also for Him, as I noted, meant the curse of God. Deuteronomy 21:23 and it's recorded in Galatians 3 said, "He that is hanged on a tree is cursed by God." Death on the cross was a horrible, horrible thing. And if you added loneliness of Jesus when He said, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He came down and humbled Himself. How far down? Even to the point of death. How far down? Even death on the excruciating cross.
And so, when that little child was born in Bethlehem it was the Lord of heaven abandoning a sovereign position, accepting a servants place, approaching a sinful people, adopting a selfless posture, even to death on a cross. In response to all of that, as we bring this to a conclusion, look at verses 9 to 11 because you can't stop at verse 8, He ascended a supreme prince...He ascended a supreme prince.
Verse 9 says, "Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name." What is that name? Lord, that's what that name is, it's not Jesus, that was His earthly name. That was already His name. The name that is above every name is the name Lord, and that is the name, verse 10 says, "At which every knee bows whether in heaven or earth or under the earth. That is the name at which every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ IS Lord to the glory of God the Father."
He came all the way down and the Father took Him all the way back up. Think of His baptism into the waters of judgment, in humility He left the comfort and peace of Galilee, in humility He was baptized by John, in humility He identified with the sins of His people, in humility He bore their sins in His own body on the cross. For all of that He was exalted by the Father, given the place in glory. In humility He was tempted in the wilderness. In humility He fasted in repentance for the sins of the nation. In humility He trusted in the Father right through Satan's fierce temptations, refusing the fulfillment of God's promise on His own terms...even refusing angelic assistance, refusing national honor and waiting on the Father's will. In humility He told His disciples He was going to die. In humility He told them they were going to have to follow a similar path. In humility He submitted to unfair trials, and degradation, shame, agonizing death, sin bearing, the wrath of God, the judgment of His Father. But in the end, because He was a faithful servant He was given a name above every name, the name is Lord...Lord of the universe, Lord of all Lords. And His exaltation causes for worship and veneration from everyone everywhere, every knee in heaven, on earth, under the earth. In heaven, that's all the folks that are in heaven whether they're the redeemed spirits of just men made perfect, or whether they're angels. On earth, that's all the people alive on earth. Under the earth has to do with all the damned, demons and men. He is so marvelous, so exalted, all bow the need to His lordship. Every tongue then should confess Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father.
And that's essentially what we've done. We have by the grace of God, by the mercy of God, been led to the place where we've confessed Jesus as Lord. If you confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God's raised Him from the dead, you're saved, Romans 10:9 and 10 says. That's exactly what we have done.
As we come to the Lord's table tonight, it is again to take us back to reflect over this glorious condescension, this glorious humiliation. You can be sure that all the folks collected around Bethlehem who were there either near or far from Joseph and Mary when the baby was born, all the people who were around and saw the birth, must have been some folks there, must have been a crowded place, all the people who saw that little couple going through this and realized what had happened had absolutely no idea that what was just described to you in Philippians 2:5 to 8 was really what was going on. But we understand that, don't we? So when we read the narrative in Luke and we read that Mary gave birth to a baby, we can fill that simple statement with all of this profound theological reality. That's why we worship Him. That's why we adore Him. That's why we remember His death for us. Let's bow together in prayer as we prepare to take the cup and the bread, symbols of that remembrance of His humiliation, His incarnation and death for us.
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Teaching kids about Jesus with Horton Hears a Who and other children's favorites
Marika E. Krause
Build. Plant. Grow. A Faith Formation Program With a Focus on Ethics
Santa Clara, Calif. Nov. 7, 2013- If the language of Thessalonians or Luke isn't holding your child's attention in mass, how about the musings of Dr. Seuss? A new, free curriculum developed in conjunction with Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics is using contemporary texts to help the ancient words of scripture make sense to kids.
Build. Plant. Grow., available online at www.scu.edu/bpg, pairs the Sunday readings with classic children's books and uses both to highlight a virtue that anyone can practice.
"This is a faith formation program for people of any age who build, plant, and grow the word in their lives. It's especially for use in schools and parishes as children break open the word each week," says Steve Johnson, director of character education at the ethics center.
The online curriculum provides weekly lesson plans that suggest how people can, as Johnson puts it, "live our daily lives as Christians at our best."
For example, the lesson plan for the third Sunday in Advent looks at the value of joy in How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. It is paired with that week's passages from the Gospel of St. Matthew, from Isaiah, and from James. In each, students are encouraged to connect with the joy that comes from within, from a relationship with God and with others.
Other children's classics in the curriculum include The Hundred Dresses, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Horton Hears a Who and Frog and Toad. Curriculum is currently available through Advent and updates are posted regularly.
The lesson plans also offer hands-on activities, with different approaches sensitive to the different ways children learn. Another section, called "What can I do today?" asks children to take concrete actions based on the virtue they're learning. Finally, the lesson concludes with a prayer.
Build. Plant. Grow. takes its title from a passage in Jeremiah:
Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce... multiply there and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare, you will find your welfare.
Anthony Mancuso, S.J., chaplain at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, Calif., wrote many of the lesson plans for Build. Plant. Grow.
"I took the readings for each Sunday and pulled out a connection between them, often a word related to a virtue, such as justice or courage," he said. Mancuso tied that idea to a children's book dealing with the same theme, which "allows the ethics to come alive for a younger mind."
Build. Plant. Grow. is intended for use by Catholic school and parish religion teachers and by parents who want to engage young people in the Gospel message in a way that is relevant and vital.
Media Contact: Marika E. Krause I email@example.com I 408-829-4836


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I'm starting to learn about wireless pentesting with BackTrack, and while learning how to find out the hidden SSID I wondered how could I connect to the wireless network after I discover the SSID. The book I'm studying does not cover that topic, only how to find the SSID.
I tried:
ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
iwconfig wlan0 essid "XXXX" channel X
but that doesn't work. Result in screenshot:


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Modern Inline Exhibits
VK-1106, VK-1127, VK-2934, and VK-3003 (RE-1038) Hybrid Displays
It's a common question. "As my company grows, I expect my trade show needs to expand. Are there any displays that will re-configure to larger sizes?" Most modular displays can grow as your trade show needs change. The VK-1106, VK-2934, and VK-3003 take the guesswork out of the question. Whether you need a 10 x 10 and then expand to a 10 x 20 or 10 x 30, these exhibits will adapt to your evolving marketing goals. Or, if you know you need a 30 ft. inline for your major show, but smaller configurations for other shows, then this series is perfect. Not only does it include large format fabric graphics, but it also has plenty of A/V opportunities with small workstations and a comfortable presentation area.
All Visionary Designs combine vibrant tension fabric graphics, durable aluminum extrusions, and elegant laminates into an unmistakable island or inline trade show exhibit. Browse through the Visionary Designs Galleries with almost 100 display ideas to choose from. Don't see exactly what you want. No problem. We'll design a display that fits your unique vision at a price that meets your budget.
Features and Benefits:
MOD-1437 Charging Bistro Table
$1780 w/ Graphics
Documentation for VK-1127 | Hybrid Inline
Frequently Asked Questions
Product Warranty
Classic Exhibits Inc. warranties the performance of its portable, modular, and custom hybrid systems during normal use, excluding excessive wear and tear, as per the instructions. This covers the workmanship and locking systems as long as the exhibit has a useful life. All remaining parts are covered against defective materials or workmanship as long as the exhibit is in service. The warranty is transferable should the product be sold or assigned to another party.
The manufacturer cannot be held responsible for damages due to abuse, misuse, or shipping damages. This warranty does not cover laminate cracks and chips, wood crate and roto-molded case damage (excluding workmanship), aluminum extrusion scuffs, mars, and scratches from normal use, and graphics wear and tear or misuse. The manufacturer is not responsible for lost or missing parts once the owner has assembled, accepted, and used the product.
Should there be any questions regarding the warranty, please contact your local Classic Exhibits Distributor.
Lead Time
The lead time for the VK-1127 | Hybrid Inline is 12 Days.
Exhibit Weight
Exhibit Weight varies depending on the packaging and the shipping method. Variables include but are not limited to:
Electrical/Cord Management
Electrical, Cord, and Wire Management varies depending on the display and each exhibitor's requirements. When ordering your trade show display, consider the following electrical/wire management issues and discuss your options with an exhibit professional:
Add designs and photos to your personal gallery simply by clicking on the +My Gallery links
Then email your "My Gallery" to colleagues, friends, or your favorite exhibit designer. There's no better way to begin designing a display that reflects your exhibit marketing goals.
Note: My Gallery uses a temporary browser cookie to store your gallery. We recommend that you send your gallery to your email address if you need to retain it for longer than 30 days.
Exhibit Weight varies depending on the packaging and the shipping method. Variables include but are not limited to:
Electrical, Cord, and Wire Management varies depending on the display and each exhibitor's requirements. When ordering your trade show display, consider the following electrical/wire management issues and discuss your options with an exhibit professional:
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Education Provider Online Programs
Are agents anxious for you to submit their continuing education hours now?
Do you need to submit a class presentation schedule or change a class schedule?
We offer an online process that is quick, easy and painless too!
Provider Sign In - Allowable functions include:
- Online Sign-Up
- Add provider roster
- Search rosters
- Add/change/cancel class presentations
- Search class presentation schedules
- Change User ID or Password
- Review electronic roster error messages
The Online Roster service assists Education Providers in reporting their provider rosters for continuing education courses. Upon submission, the provider roster information is validated and the provider is notified immediately if the information has been accepted or if there was an error in the validation. If the provider roster fails to validate, an error message will indicate the reason.
Prelicensing education rosters must be submitted within 10 days of the course completion date and continuing education rosters must be submitted within 30 days of the course completion date; rosters with a completion date more than 30 days from the current date will not be accepted.
The Online Class Presentation service offers Education Providers an expedient method of notifying the CDI of their intent to offer a class. Upon submission, the class presentation information is validated and the provider is notified immediately if the information has been accepted or if there was an error in the validation. If the class schedule fails to validate, an error message will indicate the reason. The class presentation schedule must be submitted to the CDI at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the course offering.
The Online Class Presentation service also allows the provider to make changes to the class schedules currently on file within set parameters. For instance, providers will have the ability to cancel existing scheduled course dates or to change the location of the course. The class schedule will be available for viewing on our website Education Provider and Course Search within 24 hours.
A search feature will allow providers to search for class presentation schedules or provider rosters previously submitted (for example, a provider might want a list of the rosters submitted on a particular date or to verify a class presentation schedule has been entered or cancelled). For added security, providers can also change their User ID and Password as needed.
To participate in the Education Provider Online Program, select the Provider Sign In link.
If you need further assistance, contact the Education Unit at (916) 492-3064. Please be sure to include your name, telephone number, license number and e-mail address in all correspondence with the CDI. You may e-mail us at Producer Licensing Bureau.


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Look no further for some great Christmas and Winter Thematic units. All of these units are cross-curricular and strategically linked to the common core standards. Here as some of our store offerings.
Also check out our companion sight word readers with some Christmas or Winter flair.
And Also, enjoy a couple Winter, Christmas Themed freebies!
Also remember to become a follower at one your favorite online teacher store so you will be notified when our new christmas freebie will be posted next week!


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WritersMarket.com lists more than 8,000 publishing opportunities, whether you write nonfiction, fiction, poetry, scripts or children's books. Listings include contact information, submission preferences, payment rates, and more.
Sign Up Now
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ATC could not do all that we do without our generous donors. With support from individuals to community groups and local businesses, we are able to focus our attention on what matters most – the children and adults who need our services. Since 1976, the Autism Treatment Center has assisted individuals with autism throughout their lives as they learn, play, work and live in the community. Calls and referrals to ATC for autism services have increased significantly; approximately 1,500 a year! ATC is working to increase the number of classrooms, therapy rooms, therapists, and group homes in the community to meet the needs of these individuals, and we need your help. The generosity of your gifts will help us achieve our goals as we seek to give hope and inspiration to the children and adults of the Autism Treatment Center and their families. There are many ways to give to ATC. Read about the different ways you can get involved and choose the one that works for you!
From $5 to $5,000,000, your dollars make a difference! We rely on our donors to help support and expand our programs and services. Make a donation and know that you are making a positive impact in the lives of the children and adults at ATC.
ATC established the Continuous Autism Resource Endowment (CARE) Fund, a restricted account, designed to stabilize ATC's resources through uncertain economic times and difficult financial markets. With a gift to the CARE Fund donors can help ensure a bright future for ATC.
Planned Giving
ATC's Planned Giving program allows donors to put their assets to work for them while also investing in ATC's future. Financial planning ensures that your charitable giving continues after you have passed on.
Community Partners
Our Community Partners are generous people and organizations who have decided to organize a fundraiser/event benefitting the
In-Kind Donations
From shoelaces to braces, ATC provides for those in our program. We are often in need of items for our individuals, homes, and school.
Roundup for Autism
The Bobby Norris Roundup for Autism is one of Texas' largest fundraisers for autism. Roundup raises funds specifically to support the Autism Treatment Centers of Texas' programs and services. Read more and learn how you can get involved in this great event at www.RoundupForAutism.org


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Star Trek Bat'leth Letter Opener
A fool's only achievement is an unopened letter
- Open your mail like a warrior!
- 8" long Bat'leth, made of stainless steel
- Comes with a resin cast display stand
As a member of the Klingon race, it can be hard to accept anything as 'too difficult'. A big issue a Klingon male faces is a test of his fine motor skills. We are killing machines, fighters; we are vastly more concerned with a warrior's life, tlhIngan maH! But, when left alone and the mail has arrived, opening a letter proves to be more difficult than ghang love. But, thanks to the Bat'leth Letter Opener, we can attack these letters with the ferocity of a true warrior.
The Star Trek Bat'leth Letter Opener is, first and foremost, sharp, sharper than the tongue that first spoke Hab SoSII' Quch! Made of stainless steel, the blood of conquered envelopes won't ruin this weapon, nor will it bend to a mighty foe. It's also super neat that they come with a resin cast display stand! Ehhem... nuqjatlh?
Product Specifications
- No, really, a tiny Klingon could kill another tiny Klingon with it.
- Made of durable stainless steel with a leather-wrapped handle
- Resin cast display stand
- Dimensions: 8" Long
- Weight: 8 oz. (opener and base together)