Moments Almanac Episodes

On June 25, two remarkable moments—separated by more than three centuries—ask the same enduring question. In 1530, Philip Melanchthon stood before the Holy Roman Emperor as the Augsburg Confession was read aloud, declaring the convictions of the Protestant Reformation before the most powerful ruler in Europe. In 1865, Hudson Taylor sat alone on a beach in Brighton, England, and prayed for twenty-four missionaries to carry the gospel into inland China. That quiet prayer became the China Inland ...

On June 24, 64 AD, Emperor Nero began the brutal persecution of Christians in Rome. Men and women were arrested, crucified, and even burned as human torches in the emperor's gardens. Nero believed fire could silence the faith. Nearly fifteen centuries later, on the same date, John of the Cross was born in Spain. Imprisoned by his own religious order and confined to a dark cell, he discovered something remarkable: sometimes God does His deepest work in the dark. From that prison came The Dark Ni...

On June 23, 1683, William Penn signed a remarkable treaty with the Lenni Lenape people of Pennsylvania—a peace agreement built not on force or fear, but on mutual respect and trust. Penn believed God's law was already written on the human heart. Nearly two centuries later, on June 23, 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for an invention that would change the way ideas travel through the world: the typewriter. One man used words to build peace. Another built a machine that would c...

On June 22, 1714, Matthew Henry died on the road at fifty-one — thrown from his horse, laid down in a stranger's house, his great commentary on Scripture unfinished. His last words: "A life spent in the service of God and communion with him is the most comfortable and pleasant life anyone can live." Thirteen men finished the work after he was gone. On June 22, 1750, Jonathan Edwards was fired from his Northampton congregation — 230 votes to 23, after twenty-three years of ministry. He received ...

On June 21, 1892, Reinhold Niebuhr was born. Though some of his theology remains a matter of debate among evangelical Christians, his influence on American religious thought is impossible to ignore. More than anything else, he is remembered for a simple prayer written during the turmoil of the twentieth century—words that would find their way into church bulletins, hospital rooms, recovery groups, and countless hearts: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage ...

On June 20, Moments Almanac remembers two missionary milestones separated by five years and thousands of miles. In 1880, Samuel Robbins Brown, one of the first American missionaries to Japan, died after a lifetime of faithful service. His work in education and discipleship helped shape a generation during a pivotal season in Japan's history. Then, in 1885, Moravian missionaries arrived in Alaska and established the Bethel Mission, carrying the Gospel to one of the most remote frontiers in Nort...

On June 19, 1865, freedom arrived in Galveston, Texas, with the reading of General Order No. 3, announcing that enslaved people were free. More than two centuries earlier, on June 19, 1623, Blaise Pascal was born—a brilliant scientist, mathematician, and Christian thinker who spent his life exploring the mysteries of the human heart. In this episode of Moments Almanac, we reflect on two kinds of freedom: freedom proclaimed and freedom discovered. From the celebration of Juneteenth to Pascal's s...

Scattered Moments — Moments Almanac | June 18 Held Up June 18 carries two stories four centuries apart — and they say the same thing. In 1546, a twenty-five-year-old woman named Anne Askew was convicted of heresy in London for believing what most Baptists believe about communion. She was racked in the Tower of London, carried to the stake on a chair because she could no longer walk, and burned. She never recanted. She never gave up a name. And from her prison cell she wrote words of pure wors...

What do a fiery preacher and a towering statue have in common? On this episode of Moments Almanac, we explore the birth of John Wesley on June 17, 1703, and the arrival of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885. One carried a spiritual flame that helped spark a worldwide revival. The other lifted a torch that welcomed generations seeking hope and a new beginning. Along the way, we reflect on Wesley's stirring challenge: "Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but si...

🦋 🌊 June 16 – The Storm and the Butterfly What does a butterfly have to do with the resurrection? And what can a storm-tossed ocean teach us about compassion? In this episode of Moments Almanac, we remember two remarkable stories connected to June 16. First, we meet Joseph Butler, the eighteenth-century bishop and apologist who challenged skeptics by pointing to the natural world itself. Looking at the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, Butler saw evidence that God had written ...

On this episode of Moments Almanac, we remember Josiah Henson, born June 15, 1789. Born into slavery, he became a preacher, abolitionist, community builder, and advocate for freedom. His story reminds us that while we cannot always choose our circumstances, we can choose our character. Through faith, integrity, and perseverance, Josiah Henson overcame evil with good and left a legacy that still speaks today. Share Your Thoughts

On this episode of Moments Almanac, we reflect on two stories connected by a common thread of compassion. Born on June 14, 1811, Harriet Beecher Stowe used her pen to awaken a nation's conscience, reminding readers of the humanity of those trapped in slavery. More than a century later, during the Titanic hearings of 1912, Second Officer Charles Lightoller spoke of "the law of human nature and Christian chivalry" as he described the principle of putting women and children first in the lifeboats....

What if growing older isn't supposed to make us cynical? On this episode of Moments Almanac, we remember two remarkable figures connected to June 13: Saint Anthony of Padua, remembered as the patron saint of lost things, and Christian writer Dorothy L. Sayers, whose faith-filled imagination continues to inspire readers around the world. Along the way, we explore what it means to recover the wonder, hope, and curiosity that life sometimes causes us to misplace. Drawing from Sayers' beautiful r...

On June 12, 1929, Anne Frank was born. On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was murdered. One entered the world on this day. One left it. Yet both continue to speak. In this episode of Moments Almanac, we remember two lives shaped by courage in the face of hatred and injustice. From a hidden attic in Nazi-occupied Europe to a driveway in Jackson, Mississippi, Anne Frank and Medgar Evers remind us that even the smallest light can shine through the deepest darkness. Drawing from John 1:5 and the endu...

What do an ancient encourager, a modern ocean explorer, and a timeless proverb have in common? On this June 11 edition of Moments Almanac, we remember Barnabas—the Son of Encouragement—and celebrate the birthday of Jacques Cousteau, whose journeys revealed the wonders hidden beneath the sea. Together, their stories remind us that the deepest journeys of life and faith are rarely made alone. Drawing from Proverbs 27:17, this episode explores the power of encouragement, friendship, forgiveness,...

The world celebrates noise, urgency, and constant activity. Scripture offers a different path. In this episode of Moments Almanac, we reflect on June 10 through the lens of a quiet and faithful life: Thomas à Kempis and reflect on Paul's gentle encouragement in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: "Seek to lead a quiet life." We'll reflect on the simple wisdom of Rich Mullins, and consider how God often does His deepest work not through applause or spectacle, but through ordinary faithfulness. The kingdom o...

June 9 — Columba of Iona & William Carey: The Gospel Goes Further On June 9, we remember two missionaries separated by more than a thousand years but united by the same calling. Columba of Iona left the shores of Ireland in the sixth century and carried the light of Christ to the rugged lands of Scotland. From a small monastery on the island of Iona, the gospel spread across a nation and beyond. More than a millennium later, Baptist missionary William Carey crossed oceans to India with a ...

On June 8, we remember William Wilberforce—a man whose faith led him into one of history's longest and most important struggles for justice. For more than twenty years, Wilberforce fought to end the British slave trade. He faced defeat, opposition, and discouragement, yet refused to abandon the work God had placed before him. His story reminds us that some victories come quickly, but others require a lifetime of faithful perseverance. Drawing from Galatians 6:9, this episode explores the powe...

On June 7, 1665, a small group of Baptists in colonial Boston gathered to worship according to their convictions. Their simple desire to follow Christ would cost them dearly. They were fined, harassed, imprisoned, and forced to meet in secret. At one point, colonial authorities even nailed shut the doors of their meetinghouse. Yet the congregation that became First Baptist Church of Boston endured, becoming one of the oldest Baptist churches in America and a powerful witness to the importance o...

On this June 6 edition of Moments Almanac, we remember the courage of those who landed on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day and reflect on the steadfast faith of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who chose conviction over comfort in the face of evil. Drawing from Ephesians 6:13, J. R. R. Tolkien's memorable words, "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens," and James Russell Lowell's timeless hymn, we consider what it means to stand firm when the path ahead is uncertain. History reminds ...

On this June 5 edition of Moments Almanac, we remember two remarkable Christians whose lives reveal different kinds of courage. Saint Boniface carried the gospel into hostile territory and ultimately gave his life for Christ. More than a thousand years later, preacher W. E. Sangster faced a devastating illness that slowly stole his voice but never his faith. Along the way, we reflect on a memorable line from Stephen Charnock, a famous stanza from William Ernest Henley's Invictus, and Paul's re...

On this June 4 edition of Moments Almanac, we remember a day marked by both courage and contemplation. We begin with Winston Churchill's stirring call to perseverance during one of the darkest days of World War II. We then journey to the village of Bethany, where Martha and Mary remind us that while service matters, there is a "better part" found in simply sitting at the feet of Jesus. Along the way, we celebrate the birth of beloved poet Patience Strong and reflect on her beautiful words: "A...

On this June 3 edition of Moments Almanac, we remember the courage of the Ugandan martyrs led by Charles Lwanga, the wonder of astronaut Ed White's historic spacewalk, and the longing for freedom remembered through Tiananmen Square. Joined by the stirring words of Joshua 1:9, a beloved missionary hymn, and a challenging poem by James Russell Lowell, today's reflection invites us to live with conviction, speak the truth with grace, and trust God wherever He leads. "Be strong and courageous... f...

In this June 2 edition of Scattered Moments Almanac, we remember the quiet courage of Blandina of Lyons, a young believer whose faith endured in the shadow of the Roman Empire. Through scripture, the words of theologian Greg Boyd, and the mystical poetry of Francis Thompson, this episode reflects on the hidden Kingdom of God — a counterkingdom of radical love, mercy, and enduring grace. Featuring: • Luke 17:21 — “The kingdom of God is within you.” • A reflection on Blandina and the persecuted c...