Genesis
Not the Genesis of the Old Testament. The genesis of the movie soundtrack.
Every movie starts with a script, and our script was written by God. How could we possibly go wrong?
"Acts of the Apostles" is a faithful cinematic reenactment of the transformative events following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, as recounted in the New Testament's Book of Acts.
If you are a christian then you already know this epic story. It begins with the ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, then follows the apostles as they spread the message of Christ, perform miracles, and face trials to establish the early Church.
As mentioned, every word of dialogue drawn directly from Scripture. We hope that our film will bring to life the profound teachings, unwavering faith, and courageous sacrifices of Jesus’ followers as they carry the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
But this post is not about the movie. It’s about the soundtrack.
We first had the idea for a soundtrack while composing music for scenes in the film. What if we were to create a soundtrack with lyrics derived directly from the Bible? It’s well known that books like Song of Solomon and Psalms were, in fact, once sung to music though the music itself has been lost over the centuries.
Writing this music was a profound experience because I literally do not remember it. That may sound unbelievable or contrived, but it is true. All I can tell you is that God literally worked directly through me and from beginning to end, the music in this soundtrack is not only the word of God, but His work too.
An interesting side note: at one point I did decide that I wanted to change some of the wording. It was a simple change, just to make the song lyrics come together better with the beat. At that very moment, I read the words of Revelation 22:18-19:
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19
19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
I couldn’t believe it. The good book was literally speaking directly to me in that moment. As you might imagine, I quickly erased my changes. Indeed, the word of God is perfect and it does not need my changes.