June 21, 2026 | Moments Almanac | Serenity
Share Your Thoughts 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 can...
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 to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
In today's Moments Almanac, we explore the story behind the Serenity Prayer and the enduring need for courage, humility, and wisdom in a world we cannot fully control.
Scripture: James 1:5
Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.
Welcome to Moments Almanac for June 21st, 2026. This is a time to remember the people, places, and events that leave fingerprints on the soul. At Happy Father's Day, I hope you're having a good one. Born on this day in 1892 was Reinholt Nieber, theologian, preacher's son, and one of the most influential religious thinkers of the 20th century in America. He's worth pausing over, though not without an honest reckoning. Niebuhr never fit comfortably within evangelical Christianity. His understanding of Christ and the resurrection often drifted from historic orthodoxy, and many believers have rightly approached his theology with caution. Yet God has always had a way of using imperfect messengers. In the middle of World War II, in a small church in Heath, Massachusetts, Nieber offered a prayer that would travel far beyond his own life. God give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. The serenity prayer. Alcoholics Anonymous embraced it. Recovery groups hung it on walls, hospital rooms, church basements, prison chapels, and kitchen tables, became places where those words were whispered through tears. Perhaps the prayer endured because it points beyond itself to a simple truth. There is a God who hears, a God who grants courage, and a God who gives wisdom, a God whose grace meets us within our limits. The prayer outlived the man who wrote it. That's not unusual in the economy of grace. And of course, today is Father's Day. For many that brings gratitude, for others, grief. For some both at the same time. Fathers, like theologians, leave behind mixed legacies. No father gets everything right. Most of us are remembered for a combination of strength and failures, wisdom and blind spots, gifts and regrets, and yet grace often travels farther than the man. So today, if Father's Day is easy for you, give thanks. If it is difficult, take comfort and remember. For those whose fathers were merciless, remember that our God is compassion. For those whose father was absent, remember our Father is everywhere. For those whose father was unfaithful, remember that our Father's name is faithful. For those fathers who rejected them and closed them out of sight, remember our Father whose arms were nailed openly, willingly, upon a wooden cross. For those whose fathers were aloof, remember that our Father is deeply concerned. For those whose father was full of rage, remember that our father is full of love. Some fathers tear down, other fathers build mansions. Some fathers deceive, our father is truth personified. Some fathers abuse, our father restores. Some fathers hide, our father reveals. Some fathers die, and we have an everlasting Father. I hope that your Father's Day is filled with memories, memories of goodness and grace, of a strong hand in your life, in the midst of life's chaotic dance. Today's scripture comes from Psalm 68. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. That's Moments Almanac for today, June 21st, 2026. I hope you make it a great Father's Day filled with memories of a great father.
