The middle of this week will have the winners and losers of this year's general election known, but that doesn't end the responsibility of the faithful.

A Washington Post article brought that fact to mind for the Rev. Bob Hanna, pastor of the Salem First Christian Church.

The story told of Ema Daniel Grey, a White House cleaner under six different presidents for 24 years in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She died in 2009 at the age of 95.

Among her duties was cleaning the Oval Office. As a Christian, she described the last thing she did at night before turning off the lights in the office.

She would put her arms on the president's desk chair and pray: "Lord, bless the man who sits here; he is going to need your help. Please guide him and lead him. Bring good things in his life. Take care of him I pray."

Grey said she didn't vote for all the occupants. At her funeral, the preacher told how she always looked at the presidents for what they could be, what they might be by the help of God.

Hanna reflected, "Once the elections are behind us, we need to do like Ema Grey and stand behind our leaders in prayer."

Learn how to be more mission minded and how to put it in practice locally

A day-long event to learn of local mission practices will be 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at St. John Lutheran Church, 1350 Court St. NE, Salem.

Titled ADVANCEDnet, it is conducted by the Mission Training Center at Concordia College in Portland and will feature live streaming of three nationally known speakers. Their three separate talks will be followed by group discussion times to start making local application of the material learned.

Speakers are Texas pastor Bill Woolsey, Paul Gossman, a former missionary in the Philippines and Peru, and current pastor in Covington, Wash., and Salvation Army Maj. Danielle Strickland.

The host church and Redeemer Lutheran in North Salem are sponsoring the event, which is one of 10 taking place in the Northwest District of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.

The cost is $20, including lunch. Information may be obtained from St. John at (503) 588-0171.

Jewish course focuses on happiness

A fall six-part workshop on happiness from the Jewish perspective will be offered starting Wednesday by the Chabad Jewish Center in South Salem.

The 7 to 8:30 p.m. video and discussion series "How Happiness Thinks" was developed by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute and will be presented at the center, 1370 Crowley Ave. SE, Salem.

Promotion for the classes says, "Drawing on classical Jewish and mystical teachings, this course will present you with a deeper understanding of yourself and help you flourish by suggesting practical advice which, when implemented, will radically enhance the happiness quotient of your life."

The individual classes will consider: how to feel good about yourself without becoming self-absorbed; how to remain happy through times of stress; the art of gratitude, why aren't we happy with what we have; how our shortcomings can become sources of joy; how to cope through times of loss; and why spirituality makes us happy.

The course costs $90 with a $10 book fee, and there is a 10 percent discount for couples signing up together. The first class may be attended free. Information and registration may be obtained at (503) 383-9569 or by e-mail to [email protected].

Time change now in effect

It is that twice-a-year time to change the clocks.

Actually, if you are reading this, 2 a.m. Sunday has already come and gone. That is the "official" hour when the clocks "fall" back an hour for the switch from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time.

It is the time to gain an "extra" hour of sleep, which was "lost" with the advancement of the clock hands in the spring.

As more and more people depend on cell phones and other electronic devices as time pieces, which update the time automatically, changing clocks seems to be a fading art.

Those attending Sunday religious services or having other appointments today need to be especially aware of the change or they may be an hour early.

Willamette professor to talk about his new book

The next in the "Big Questions Over Lunch" series at Willamette University will be at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday in the Alumni Lounge of Putnam University Center on the Salem campus.

Stephen Patterson, the university's Atkinson Professor of Religious and Ethical Studies, will speak on insights from his new book, "The Lost Way: How Two Forgotten Gospels Are Rewriting the Story of Christian Origins."

He drew from the Gospel of Thomas, Q source and other aspects of the historical study of Jesus.

Participants in the free hour-long event may provide their lunch or arrive early to purchase it at the Cat Cavern Café. Information is available from willamette.edu/dept/chaplain/events/index/html or by calling the chaplain's office at (503) 370-6213.

Hank Arends is a retired religion/community events writer for the Statesman Journal who writes a weekly column on religion. He may be reached at [email protected] or (503) 930-9653.

Source: Statesman Journal