A Quiet Place

On a cold winter evening in seventh-century England, a small sparrow flew through a great banquet hall, passing briefly from darkness into warmth and light before disappearing into the darkness again. That simple image became one of the most memorable illustrations of life and eternity in Christian history. On October 10, 644, Paulinus of York died in Rochester, England. Years earlier, this Roman missionary had helped introduce Christianity to King Edwin of Northumbria. According to the histor

Some salvation stories unfold quietly. Others are rescue missions through the wilderness of pride, doubt, shame, and brokenness. Mine was the latter. In this deeply personal episode of Scattered Moments, Matt Tullos reflects on his own need for radical redemption—not simply a Savior who would forgive his sins, but a Warrior who would pursue him through the tangled jungles of the flesh, the firestorms of anxious thoughts, and the ancient strongholds of the human heart. Drawing from Luke 19:10,

On October 9, 1635, Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for spreading what authorities called “new and dangerous opinions.” His radical ideas? That government should not control religious belief, that worship should never be forced, and that Native Americans had legitimate rights to their land. The Puritans had crossed an ocean seeking religious freedom, yet Williams dared to ask whether that freedom should extend to those who disagreed with them. His convictions cost

On October 8, 1871, D. L. Moody stood before a packed Chicago audience and asked one of the most important questions a person can face: “What shall I do with Jesus?” He told them to think it over and return the following Sunday with their answer. They never did. That night, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city. Farwell Hall burned, and Moody later said he deeply regretted ever telling people to wait. Forty-seven years later, on October 8, 1918, Tennessee native Alvin York faced a ver

On October 7, 1780, the Battle of Kings Mountain became a turning point in the American Revolution. Just days earlier, the Overmountain Men had gathered at Sycamore Shoals, where Presbyterian minister Samuel Doak prayed over them before they crossed the mountains to confront British Major Patrick Ferguson. Ferguson had reportedly boasted that even God Almighty could not drive him from his position. But on Kings Mountain, Patriot militia surrounded his forces, Ferguson was killed, and the Loyalis

On October 6, two great English voices fell silent, 356 years apart. In 1536, Bible translator William Tyndale was executed at Vilvoorde, leaving behind a final prayer: “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” In 1892, Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson died after a lifetime of words, including his haunting meditation on death, Crossing the Bar. In this episode of Moments Almanac, we bring their stories together—one man who gave his life to put Scripture into the language of ordinary people,...