At our special Christmas service, a young man named Lindsey Dominguez took the stage to read an original Christmas poem. His reading was preceded and followed by many impressive and inspiring performances--choirs, solos, readings, scriptures--but Lindsey alone received a spontanious standing ovation. With a little beatboxing in the background, it could have passed for a rap, but Lindsey's unaccompanied voice and his passionate delivery captured the hearts of the entire audience, young and old. He gave permission to post it here. I thought it was the best way to "wrap up the year"...
The greatest challenge of any engineer,
given tool and a blank space,
is simply to create.
The greatest challenge of any engineer,
given tool and a blank space,
is simply to create.
Like desperate ants rebuilding broken homes,
imagination and innovation run rampant.
imagination and innovation run rampant.
Was it even a creation or has it always been?
So, before the architect could even pick up his pen,
a simple question makes him question the foundation:
who is the author of creation?
So, before the architect could even pick up his pen,
a simple question makes him question the foundation:
who is the author of creation?
Before there were people scattered in every nation;
before the living oceans divided the land;
or the counting of the grains of sand;
before the depths were measured
or the mountains scaled;
before the sun was flung into space,
and the moon set to sail
on an eternal star treasure chase;
before planets were suspended from nothing,
and before a word was ever spoken,
there was something.
Within this dark unknown
lies the true place our Savior was born.
as soon as God spoke
He was given His form
for He is the Word of God,
and has always been.
He was there when she got got her name, Wisdom.
It was through this pair
that light shined into existence
and earth was given its dimensions.
lies the true place our Savior was born.
as soon as God spoke
He was given His form
for He is the Word of God,
and has always been.
He was there when she got got her name, Wisdom.
It was through this pair
that light shined into existence
and earth was given its dimensions.
Heaven, made as His dwelling place to be,
where the great Leviathan fearfully runs free;
where Love meets Faith for breakfast dates
and the Lion and Lamb enjoy dinner of honey glazed ham.
where the great Leviathan fearfully runs free;
where Love meets Faith for breakfast dates
and the Lion and Lamb enjoy dinner of honey glazed ham.
See, it was through Him
that Authority and Dominion were given their names;
that Power and Strength have stakes to claim.
It's no wonder people spoke so long of His coming
for we were in a mess,
and needed a Messiah slain.
but consider for a second the costs He had to count
to commit to pay the full price of our sins--
there was no discount--
but we often discount his sacrifice
to leave His Father and absolute perfection
to chase after an unsure election.
My vote? Hardly worth it!
But He still decided to make the purchase.
that Authority and Dominion were given their names;
that Power and Strength have stakes to claim.
It's no wonder people spoke so long of His coming
for we were in a mess,
and needed a Messiah slain.
but consider for a second the costs He had to count
to commit to pay the full price of our sins--
there was no discount--
but we often discount his sacrifice
to leave His Father and absolute perfection
to chase after an unsure election.
My vote? Hardly worth it!
But He still decided to make the purchase.
So, by no means was the manger the birthplace of our Savior,
but rather the first resurrection of its kind,
as He showed what it meant to die to yourself for the first time.
And His name shall be Immanuel,
so the world would know
that God was among us--
every prophecy spoken would come true--
even those of long ago
would shift in their graves because they knew,
but the world did not
or, at least, chose not to.
but rather the first resurrection of its kind,
as He showed what it meant to die to yourself for the first time.
And His name shall be Immanuel,
so the world would know
that God was among us--
every prophecy spoken would come true--
even those of long ago
would shift in their graves because they knew,
but the world did not
or, at least, chose not to.
At last the anxious artist
gets to visit an awaited artful masterpiece,
and neither regarded Him as master
nor gave Him peace.
Instead, they became masters
at carrying pieces with which to afflict the righteous,
unrecognized and unreceived--
don't be deceived!
gets to visit an awaited artful masterpiece,
and neither regarded Him as master
nor gave Him peace.
Instead, they became masters
at carrying pieces with which to afflict the righteous,
unrecognized and unreceived--
don't be deceived!
He was indeed a man just like you and me,
humbled to the very nature of a servant
with a desire for nothing more.
No credit was given where credit was due.
Instead, they credited to His account abuse.
But little did they know
He was a financial guru
He knew for every credited abuse
He could debit at least one truth.
Complicated math taught Him
your sickness plus His cloak equals healed;
His spit plus your eyes equals see;
your sins' debt plus His sacrifice equals freed!
humbled to the very nature of a servant
with a desire for nothing more.
No credit was given where credit was due.
Instead, they credited to His account abuse.
But little did they know
He was a financial guru
He knew for every credited abuse
He could debit at least one truth.
Complicated math taught Him
your sickness plus His cloak equals healed;
His spit plus your eyes equals see;
your sins' debt plus His sacrifice equals freed!
So, He spent himself
knowing He'd only be bought
for thirty coins and a tree.
So, our balance sheets would always level out
because A=L+E:
Assets equal Liability plus Equity.
Translate that heavenly,
and Atonement equals Lord plus Everything!
For He is a miracle worker
and Redeemer.
He is the One and Only who rides a white horse
followed by Heaven's army.
His name IS Faithful, Compassionate, and Truth!
He is the Commander who fights for you!
He is the King who wages war,
and whose eyes are blazing fire!
He is the Unconditional Lover who loves you without tire!
He is a Comforter and sovereign to rule
Even in the midst of twenty dead children
in a Connecticut elementary school.
knowing He'd only be bought
for thirty coins and a tree.
So, our balance sheets would always level out
because A=L+E:
Assets equal Liability plus Equity.
Translate that heavenly,
and Atonement equals Lord plus Everything!
For He is a miracle worker
and Redeemer.
He is the One and Only who rides a white horse
followed by Heaven's army.
His name IS Faithful, Compassionate, and Truth!
He is the Commander who fights for you!
He is the King who wages war,
and whose eyes are blazing fire!
He is the Unconditional Lover who loves you without tire!
He is a Comforter and sovereign to rule
Even in the midst of twenty dead children
in a Connecticut elementary school.
He is our Shepherd when there's no way out.
Seek Him first and He'll provide you with everything you need
without a doubt.
He is the Bread of Life so you'll never be hungry.
He is the teacher on how to handle your money.
He is the Alpha and Omega,
Beginning and End.
He is God's Son sent Begotten.
He is a gift to those without this season;
He is more than just a reason.
His words are more than just pleasing--
He is Life and life itself.
he is more than just a book on the shelf.
He is the depths of the seas
and the wisdom of an ant.
He is the innocence of a baby
and a storm's strong current.
Seek Him first and He'll provide you with everything you need
without a doubt.
He is the Bread of Life so you'll never be hungry.
He is the teacher on how to handle your money.
He is the Alpha and Omega,
Beginning and End.
He is God's Son sent Begotten.
He is a gift to those without this season;
He is more than just a reason.
His words are more than just pleasing--
He is Life and life itself.
he is more than just a book on the shelf.
He is the depths of the seas
and the wisdom of an ant.
He is the innocence of a baby
and a storm's strong current.
Don't you get it?
He is All in All--
through all and with all!
He is the King of Kings;
the Cornerstone that supports this whole thing!
He is Lord of Lords.
From His mouth is a drawn sword--
I mean everlasting is His role call--
but more than anything,
He is Lord of All!
He is All in All--
through all and with all!
He is the King of Kings;
the Cornerstone that supports this whole thing!
He is Lord of Lords.
From His mouth is a drawn sword--
I mean everlasting is His role call--
but more than anything,
He is Lord of All!
And if I could just step a foot
into the radius of the radiance of God's glory,
I know I'll be sustained by His and my love story.
Firstborn of all craeation,
and Firstborn from among the dead--
I hope to follow in His footsteps, as he said,
for His is Jesus Christ my Savior,
Living, not dead!
into the radius of the radiance of God's glory,
I know I'll be sustained by His and my love story.
Firstborn of all craeation,
and Firstborn from among the dead--
I hope to follow in His footsteps, as he said,
for His is Jesus Christ my Savior,
Living, not dead!
