By now we’ve all heard of Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year, but how about the whole Bible put to song? That’s the goal of musician Xander Stok, who has spent the last few years seated before his Bible with guitar in hand, picking out important Bible verses from each book in order to produce downright beautiful songs in a variety of styles.
As he tells it, however, God guides his hand, highlighting the passage that is to become his next song.
Putting biblical passages to songs is not exactly new, as the vast catalog of Christian hymns have been singing the Scriptures for thousands of years. Still, there is something unique about Stok’s project, as this industry professional creates high quality recordings that hold up to anything one might hear on the radio.
We first encountered Project of Love with the song “Believe,” which draws its text from Acts 16. The tune is driven by Stok’s acoustic guitar and grows to a trendy pop/chant song that begins focused on the phrase “What must I do to be saved,” with the latter half focusing on the phrase “Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.”
When listening through the recordings Stok has already released – numbering over 100 – the style can pivot on a dime. We were especially taken with his song “Go Before You,” drawn from Isaiah 45. The song opens with a western “cowboy” feeling guitar line, giving the impression of starting on a journey across the desert. About halfway through the song, the atmosphere changes to a tenderly plucked melody while he sings “I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness, secret riches.”
In an especially emotional video interview that Stok gave in June 2024, he explained that when he began the project he was going through a rough time. Addicted to sleeping pills, sexual gratification, smoking, and alcohol, he began to read the Bible, only to feel a calling like a voice in his head telling him to pick up his guitar and sing what he read.
Stok explained that he feels that God guides him to the passage that he should next put to song. He began writing in earnest and soon he had covered just about every substantive phrase in the Book of Isaiah. As he continued this work, he found that it was easier and easier to drop his addictions, a feat he credits to the grace of God.
In the end, he was left with one more aspect of his life that he considered himself to be dependent on: music. Music had been a selfish endeavor up until now, one in which he pursued immortality through writing hits. Now treating his passion for music as a mission, he offers all of his songwriting talent to the service of God in his efforts to place the entire Bible to song.
There are over 100 fine recordings on Project of Love’s YouTube channel, with enough music that it might take days for the average listener to make it through. Visit the site to peruse this excellent catalog of Christian hymns drawn straight from the Bible, and be sure to follow Project of Love to keep up with all of Stok’s prolific releases.
Learn more about Project of Love at its official website.
