Dean Davis, author, THE DANGEROUS JOURNEY OF SHERMAN THE SHEEP

Meet CLADACH Author

Dean Davis

Author of:
The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dean graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of California at Santa Cruz. After several unsatisfying years on Sin Mountain, the Good Shepherd rescued him, and eventually Dean became a pastor in Santa Rosa, California, where he currently resides.

Dean has often worked with children and youth, and enjoys story-telling. He is currently director of Come Let Us Reason, a Bible teaching ministry specializing in the study of apologetics and the biblical worldview. Dean and his wife, Linda, have two sons and three daughters, ages 18 to 26.

Dean has authored an article on apologetics that appeared in Christian Research Journal, and his book, In Search of the Beginning was released by Pleasant Word in 2005. In summer 2008 he is releasing Furnace for Gold: A Child of the Sixties Takes the Test of Life.

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Interview with Dean:

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What got you interested in writing, and in particular, writing an allegory?

----

I trace my interest in writing to the early 1970s, the time of my spiritual awakening. The more I read, the more I saw; the more I saw, the more I wanted to communicate. Soon, I began to write short stories, poems, and essays. When, after much wandering, the Lord brought me into His fold, the desire to relate fresh insights only intensified.

From the very beginning of my Christian walk I admired a famous old painting called The Good Shepherd, in which we see a Shepherd (with face hidden) rescuing a sheep trapped on a mountain ledge. That picture said it all. It also suggested a story, which I told, with ever-increasing embellishments, to my children. Eventually, folks who heard me tell it at church asked me to write it.

As I wrote, I found myself targeting adolescent boys, who are today in desperate need of godly role models, a clear vision of manhood, and a revelation of the thrill of genuine Christian discipleship. But soon enough I realized that Sherman would be every man's story, and every woman's too. I had started out simply telling my own story, which is "the Old, Old Story," in a way young boys could grasp. Somehow, out popped an allegory. I hope it is a blessing to all who read it.

---

Have you received inspiration from watching your own five children?

----

Most definitely, especially from my two sons. Like Bertram (Sherman's father in the book), I observed their interest in the things of God, and also their interest in the things of the world. Like Bertram, I was concerned. Like Bertram, I wanted to be the voice of the Lord into their young lives, and the grace of the Lord, if and when they should fail. Sherman is not just for sons, but for dads as well. I want the book to teach fathers to trust in a good and sovereign God, and to aspire to work skillfully with Him as He ministers through them to His young rams.

----

How might a tween (age 9 -13) relate to Sherman, and benefit from reading The Dangerous Journey? How is this the type of story that would be enjoyed in decades to come?

----

I envision tweens responding to Sherman in many ways. I hope, for example, that they will remember Sherman when they face, and resist, the unique temptations of our time. If they should stumble, I hope they will remember the heart-rending love and grace of the Good Shepherd, and thereby find faith to return to Him no matter what they have done. I hope that they will get clear on the meaning of real friendship. And I hope they will somehow understand that in the end there is only one true adventure, the adventure of walking with Christ through the dangerous wilderness of this world.

If Sherman is enjoyed for decades to come, it will only be because it participates in the timelessness of biblical imagery and biblical truth. One truth I especially desired to lift up is the eternal, unfailing love of God for His people. We may as well start enjoying that now, for it will be savored not only for decades to come, but for endless ages to come. Thanks be to God.

-----

Are you a fan of C.S. Lewis?

----

I am definitely a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Those wonderful books penetrated to the depths, and I enthusiastically read them to all my children. I believe that in their fantasies Lewis and Tolkien did what they set out to do: to get a fresh hearing for the gospel among moderns hardened to the gospel. And they did it by giving us memorable characters shaped by the gospel, so we could see anew what godly Christian boys, girls, men, and women look like. If The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep will give the tiniest such peek to an impressionable tween, I will be pleased indeed.

----

What experience do you have working with rebellious teens?

--

A great deal, since, as a child of the '60s, I was one, and had to work (or rather, be worked on) very hard to become an adult. But teens, of course, have no corner on the rebellion market. It is the bent of fallen man at any age, and there is no remedy for it except God and the gospel. My goal, then, in every attempt at ministry, is so to display the Good Shepherd and the good life He gives His own, that the rebels will find themselves dying to become His obedient sheep.

----

Have you written any other stories for youth?

----

No, but I have a few ideas for more. When my kids were young, I introduced them at bedtime to a winsome young mouse named Chicory. They have been bugging me to write about him ever since. It is not time yet, but when I hear scuttering in the basement, I will obey.

----

If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be?

-- -

The apostle James. That would put me up in heaven, and presumably next to his brother, John, whom I dearly love. Together, we would lean awhile on Jesus, and then have an excellent theological discussion, just the three of us.

Meanwhile, James would be down here, working on my next book. An excellent arrangement, but mostly for me.

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	------------
	*What got you interested in writing, and in particular, writing an allegory?*
	----
	I trace my interest in writing to the early 1970s, the time of my spiritual awakening. The more I read, the more I saw; the more I saw, the more I wanted to communicate. Soon, I began to write short stories, poems, and essays. When, after much wandering, the Lord brought me into His fold, the desire to relate fresh insights only intensified. From the very beginning of my Christian walk I admired a famous old painting called The Good Shepherd, in which we see a Shepherd (with face hidden) rescuing a sheep trapped on a mountain ledge. That picture said it all. It also suggested a story, which I told, with ever-increasing embellishments, to my children. Eventually, folks who heard me tell it at church asked me to write it. As I wrote, I found myself targeting adolescent boys, who are today in desperate need of godly role models, a clear vision of manhood, and a revelation of the thrill of genuine Christian discipleship. But soon enough I realized that Sherman would be every man's story, and every woman's too. I had started out simply telling my own story, which is "the Old, Old Story," in a way young boys could grasp. Somehow, out popped an allegory. I hope it is a blessing to all who read it.
	---
	*Have you received inspiration from watching your own five children?*
	----
	Most definitely, especially from my two sons. Like Bertram (Sherman's father in the book), I observed their interest in the things of God, and also their interest in the things of the world. Like Bertram, I was concerned. Like Bertram, I wanted to be the voice of the Lord into their young lives, and the grace of the Lord, if and when they should fail. Sherman is not just for sons, but for dads as well. I want the book to teach fathers to trust in a good and sovereign God, and to aspire to work skillfully with Him as He ministers through them to His young rams.
	----
	*How might a tween (age 9 -13) relate to Sherman, and benefit from reading The Dangerous Journey? How is this the type of story that would be enjoyed in decades to come?*
	----
	I envision tweens responding to Sherman in many ways. I hope, for example, that they will remember Sherman when they face, and resist, the unique temptations of our time. If they should stumble, I hope they will remember the heart-rending love and grace of the Good Shepherd, and thereby find faith to return to Him no matter what they have done. I hope that they will get clear on the meaning of real friendship. And I hope they will somehow understand that in the end there is only one true adventure, the adventure of walking with Christ through the dangerous wilderness of this world. If Sherman is enjoyed for decades to come, it will only be because it participates in the timelessness of biblical imagery and biblical truth. One truth I especially desired to lift up is the eternal, unfailing love of God for His people. We may as well start enjoying that now, for it will be savored not only for decades to come, but for endless ages to come. Thanks be to God.
	-----
	*Are you a fan of C.S. Lewis?*
	----
	I am definitely a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Those wonderful books penetrated to the depths, and I enthusiastically read them to all my children. I believe that in their fantasies Lewis and Tolkien did what they set out to do: to get a fresh hearing for the gospel among moderns hardened to the gospel. And they did it by giving us memorable characters shaped by the gospel, so we could see anew what godly Christian boys, girls, men, and women look like. If The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep will give the tiniest such peek to an impressionable tween, I will be pleased indeed.
	----
	*What experience do you have working with rebellious teens?*
	--
	A great deal, since, as a child of the '60s, I was one, and had to work (or rather, be worked on) very hard to become an adult. But teens, of course, have no corner on the rebellion market. It is the bent of fallen man at any age, and there is no remedy for it except God and the gospel. My goal, then, in every attempt at ministry, is so to display the Good Shepherd and the good life He gives His own, that the rebels will find themselves dying to become His obedient sheep.
	----
	*Have you written any other stories for youth?*
	----
	No, but I have a few ideas for more. When my kids were young, I introduced them at bedtime to a winsome young mouse named Chicory. They have been bugging me to write about him ever since. It is not time yet, but when I hear scuttering in the basement, I will obey.
	----
	*If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be?*
	-- -
	The apostle James. That would put me up in heaven, and presumably next to his brother, John, whom I dearly love. Together, we would lean awhile on Jesus, and then have an excellent theological discussion, just the three of us. Meanwhile, James would be down here, working on my next book. An excellent arrangement, but mostly for me.