I find myself intolerably annoyed with anthems about experiencing God’s presence. How did mankind become so comfortable kicking back to imagine that God has a duty to satisfy the thirst or hunger or desperation of servants? It is a lazy and wrong-headed understanding of what it means to be an Abrahamic theist. Singung about the awesomeness of God’s presence might produce a goosenump, but it does not produce an encounter with the Almighty.
Refrains like “we need a move” self-centeredly express what God must do for God’s servants…which is a conplete inversion of reality. God has no duty to serve mankind, to be at mankind’s beck and call, to satisfy every whimper of servants. Instead of declaring what servants “need” from God, the proper entreaty is “your servant is here and desires an audience. I worship you because all I have to offer is my worship. I am not worthy to be in your presence, but you are so faithful and compassionate, and this knowledge is enough for me.” This is the meaning of the verses declaring reverence and respect for יהוה to be the foundations of wisdom (Prov 10:9; Psalm 111:10).