Many pastors and their flocks embrace a prosperity-based message, but Tenth Avenue North is bursting their bubbles with its newest CD release, “The Struggle.”
“The prosperity Gospel teaches us if we do the right thing God will bless you, but God also promises us trouble and trials,” Tenth Avenue North drummer James Jamison said. “In our lives, every day there is something to struggle through.”
The first release off the album, “Losing” is a prime example of life’s struggles and was composed after a station asked the band to write a song from stories provided by its listeners.
- Fans can experience the band Wednesday, Oct. 17 at Crossroads Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Tickets can be purchased on the band’s website.
- Find out how fans got a voice on Tenth Avenue North’s new CD, “The Struggle”
“The station sent us the top-10 stories, and they were all very grandiose stories, but they all had this one common thread — difficult times and of letting go and forgiving something or someone in your past, “ Jameson said. “Well, when you forgive someone you feel like you are losing, and that you should seeking revenge instead. But God doesn’t call us to seek justice, we are called to forgive. And that is a struggle of letting go, but ultimately a weight is lifted off your shoulders.”
Jamison’s favorite song on the CD is “Don’t Stop the Madness,” which asks God. “Don’t be afraid Lord to break my heart if it brings me down to my knees.”
“It slaps the prosperity Gospel in the face,” he said. “Sometimes difficulties draw us closer to Him. During struggles, at times you don’t have an answer. Did I so something wrong to deserve this? What is God teaching me, and do I need to be here? Why do I want to rush through this? If God promised us pain then it can’t be meaningless. Sometimes we bring glory to Him by falling on our knees. The song shows that we need to be dependent on God and to lose sight of our comfort and put our eyes on Jesus.”
As Jamison puts it the band fell into this “music thing” as worship leaders at Palm Beach Atlantic College 12 years ago, just “living and loving life, and the music just took off. I never thought I would be doing this full time. We just keep riding the train, and it has taken us here.”
“But at the end of the day it’s not about making music it’s about living in community and faith, and making songs to get through situations with a eye fixed on Jesus. And how to foster community on the road. Our best memories on the road are the people. … God is using the music to touch people and to help. And this is my job to reach out and touch everyone at that concert — and God I need your help.
“If our identity was wrapped up in the music, and it all fell apart so would we. But I know Christ, and I want to share the Gospel. And I’ll keep doing that. I’ll ride that to the horizon.”