When Reunion-based author Andrea Lende wanted to honor her father, the Rev. Dr. Richard J. Einerson, his words were what came to mind – specifically, ten sermons he wrote recently.
“My dad was a pastor for many years. He’s 89 and turns 90 in July. Recently, he sent me about 10 sermons he wrote during his later years, after retirement,” Lende said.
Lende helped dedicate his recently published book, “Still Speaking: Sermons from a Pastor Who Walked with the People,” featuring those sermons from late in his career, including his experiences in the South during racial unrest.
Beatitudes Publishing has just published the book, along with two others by Einerson: “Can You Trust the Bible,” which discusses the Bible’s origins and composition, and a book of prayers he wrote, called “Prayers for the People.”
Lende said they were all released in time for his 70th wedding anniversary.
“He was asked to step in as interim pastor for several different churches, and so he found some sermons that we could publish in a book and leave as a legacy to his kids, his grandkids,” Lende said. “We’re thrilled with the cover of this book; it’s a picture that we have in our home, and it’s probably my favorite picture of my Dad.”
Lende said the picture of him on the cover of the book was taken at Sayles Memorial Church in the Providence, Rhode Island suburb of Lincoln, where some of her best years were spent on the East Coast, she said.
“He took a picture of that portrait, and it now hangs in his office. Our cover designer did an amazing job of creating our cover. I was brought to tears when I saw this.”
College to Civil Rights
Lende said her father attended Warner Pacific College and graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He subsequently pursued his Master of Divinity degree at the Pacific School of Religion, graduating in 1961. He earned a Danforth Foundation Grant and spent a year at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where he worked with students and studied with a historical theology professor, Dr. Langdon Gilkey, Lende said.
“In February of 1960, while he was at Vanderbilt University, the South began to hemorrhage with the civil rights movement. The black students of that era created an organization called the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.”
Lende said that Civil Rights leader John Lewis, later a United States Congressman for Georgia, became the first president of the organization as these young adults came together in the community to quietly advocate for their rights.
Her dad was profoundly affected by this movement and he integrated it into his ministry and years of service.
“The kids were sitting at the counters where they weren’t supposed to be sitting, and people were putting cigarettes on their backs. It was a horrible time,” Lende said. “It did affect him for the rest of his life, shaping how he saw things, how he pastored, and his philosophy on various matters in one of his sermons.”
He began his Doctor of Ministry training at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts. After earning his degree in 1972, he moved to North Dakota to take a chaplain position at St. Luke’s Hospital.
“He served as a chaplain for St. Luke’s, now MeritCare, for eighteen years, ushering many through the corridor of life into death, praying with numerous individuals,” she said.
He retired from his chaplaincy career in 1995 but served as the interim pastor for several churches until his final retirement at the age of 77. His interim pastor career took him to several churches across the country, from Minnesota to Colorado.
“I think he served as interim for three different churches after retirement; he had a hard time retiring. He just kept serving,” she said.
Lende said that quote in the book by Charles Spurgeon says, “One of the greatest rewards that we ever received for serving God is the permission to do still more for him.”
“That’s been my dad,” Lende said.
Charting his ministry
Lende said my father’s book gives readers insight into the history of his ministry featuring sermons from a pastor who walked with the people.
“It is a blessing to be able to publish this book for him as his daughter, and have it ready for his 70th wedding anniversary, which was last week, Lende said.
“We finished the book in time to have five copies ready for him so he could sign them for the grandkids and my twin sister. Therefore, we had a small book signing in Phoenix, Arizona, last week, just for our family. He is so pleased at his age and to have published his words in print.”
Lende said her father published a book last year called “Can You Trust the Bible, a Biblical Primer for Lay People.” As a preacher who studied theology extensively and learned Hebrew, Greek and other languages used in writing the Bible, he had gained significant knowledge, she said.
“He wanted to give laypeople, like myself, who haven’t studied the Bible in a theological sense insight into how the Bible was put together and how they found all the books,” Lende said.
“The title was a little scary: Can you trust the Bible? Ultimately, yes, you can trust the Bible, but we must exercise caution in our approach to it. After all, it took many years — hundreds, even thousands — to compile it all.”
Lende said her dad explains how the books were formed and assembled, including what came first and who came first, which is fascinating.
“He offers valuable insights for those of us who are detectives and wish to learn about the Bible and its origins. It was gratifying to assemble that, and he completed it before he could no longer continue,” Lende said.