Surely the Presence of the Lord Is in This Place
Chorus
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angels wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
In the midst of His children the Lord said He would be
It doesn’t take very many, it can be just two or three
And I feel that same sweet spirit that I felt often times before
Surely I can say I’ve been with the Lord
Chorus
There’s a holy hush around us as God’s glory feels this place
I’ve touched the hem of His garment, I can almost see His face
And my heart is overflowing with the fullness of His joy
I know without a doubt that I’ve been with the Lord
Chorus
What a stupid song.
I will admit that I am by nature cynical and critical. And I’ll admit that those four words above pass through my mind every time I hear that song. I have never sung it, and never will. Now, having preemptively admitted my critical nature, I will add that the fact that I’m critical doesn’t mean it’s not a stupid song. 
And I promise I will be making a point here eventually — apart from the stupidity of the song (it is exceedingly stupid) — if you stick with me.
I do want to make one thing clear: I am not saying that those who sing this song are stupid. I am saying that they are probably, like the majority of what passes for “evangelical” these days, unthinking. And thinking is what this is all about. So let’s take it apart and think about it. Deconstructing the chorus should suffice, as the verses are more of the same (and I’ve never heard them sung, anyway).
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
Well, I hope so. If we are who we say we are, he surely is (Matthew 18:20).
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
No, you can’t; but as this is part of the main point, I’ll leave it until last.
I can hear the brush of angels wings
Seriously, now . . .
I see glory on each face
Oh, come on, now! If I was to look around me on a Sunday morning, I suspect I’d see a lot of tired eyes (perhaps I’m nit-picking here). I hope God’s glory might fill each mind, and maybe I’d see it manifest on faces, but then again, maybe not. In any case, what I see on faces is hardly relevant. I suspect many weary faces hide joyful hearts, while many an exuberant expression adorns an empty head.
Please don’t miss the point. This is not about criticizing one song or even a whole genre of songs.
Surely the presence blah blah blah . . .Yeah, yeah, okay. Moving on to my main point: this song is all about feeling, as if feeling is a reliable indicator of reality. “Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place,” and I know this because “I can feel his mighty power and his grace.” That thinking is as backwards as it can get.
I cannot feel his mighty power and his grace. I know there is a certain sector of Christianity — and I do mean genuine, gospel-believing Christians — who will doubt the depth of my faith, maturity, Spirit-filled-ness, or what-have-you, based upon that statement. Nevertheless, I stand by it without the slightest postmodern interweb “IMO” qualification. That does not mean that I have no feelings connected with God’s presence. If I did not, I would be concerned indeed. What I mean is that my feelings are no basis for any knowledge whatsoever. Rather, my knowledge stirs feelings, some of them quite profound. It is wonderfully comforting and encouraging to know that God is present at all times and in all places. I am reminded, in particular, of my savior’s promise to be with me “always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
I do not feel God’s presence. I have deep — overwhelming, at times — feelings that are catalyzed by my knowledge of God’s presence. And that is so much better. My feelings, no matter how sincere, may be misguided and carnal. I have, at times, been happy about things that are positively sinful. My feelings cannot be trusted. Knowledge, on the other hand, when drawn from the infallible well of God’s Word, is trustworthy, and the profound feelings that flow from that knowledge, while not infallible, are at least worth mentioning in song.
Therefore, I leave you with this exhortation: don’t think because you feel; rather, feel because you know.
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4 Comments:
#1 || 09·12·14··12:40 || rebecca
I don't know this one and I'm not unhappy about it.
#2 || 09·12·14··13:05 || Kim in ON
There is a very nice woman who has has sung this song a number of times. I must say that I found the tune so boring that I seldom paid attention to the words, and mostly just waited patiently for it to be over.
I guess I wasn't missing much.
#3 || 09·12·14··14:46 || David
It usually is a Very Nice Woman. You know, unlike the ones who visit here.
#4 || 09·12·15··05:56 || Kim in ON
Haha, as my kids would say, "Oh, snap!"