The creator of the popular religious children's television show "Davey and Goliath" has died.
A memorial service will be held May 31 at St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas for Richard Towne "Dick" Sutcliffe. He died May 11 in Dallas from complications of a stroke. He was 90.
Sutcliffe created "Davey and Goliath," a Christian-themed children's show about a boy and his talking dog that used stop-action animation.
Along with Gumby creators Art Clokey and Ruth Clokey Goodell, Sutcliffe created the Sunday-morning series to spread a religious message without losing younger viewers with overly complicated concepts, his daughter, J.T. Sutcliffe, told The Dallas Morning News.
Church leaders approached Sutcliffe about using television to reach young people when he was director of Lutheran radio and television ministry in New York. He chose a format that would offer sound theology while being entertaining, his daughter told the newspaper.
Sutcliffe is survived by his wife, Judy Sutcliffe; daughter, J.T. Sutcliffe; son, Michael Sutcliffe; brother, Paul Sutcliffe and three grandchildren.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments
Davy and Goliath was probably beyond a mere creative idea born out of a brainstorming session. All things considered, God's fingerprints are all over this amazingly, lastingly fruitful project. It was a God-inspired idea!
This creative show (financed by the then existing Lutheran Church of America, generally theologically liberal in its day, but they were financially committed to this outreach) touched millions of children's lives. Like another reader, I very rarely went to church - thought it was nonsense. Felt no love, no acceptance. I begged my mom to let me stay home to watch Johnny Quest and Davy and Goliath. She usually relented.
Jesus spoke of the 'seed' that goes into the soil of the heart that in time bears fruit. There are today millions of Baby Boomer generation not-yet believers who were long ago 'seeded' with biblically based truths thanks to Davy and Goliath.
Paul said "I planted, Apollos watered, God brought about the harvest" (1 Cor. 3:6). Harvesting is God's accomplishment every time - after faithful 'seed flinging' has been done aplenty by God's imperfect people (flingers).
Today I aspire to begin to pray with fresh enthusiasm for the Boomer generation and the millions of seeds scattered long ago by these simple animations.
As Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over." With far more non-believing Boomers than otherwise, the Boomers are a jaded, spiritually confused, syncretistic - yet open to authentic spirituality group. Let's look for the open doors of the heart with these peculiar people. As Pogo said, 'I are one' - Boomer, that is.
Davy and Goliath quite possibly was my first exposure to biblical teaching through the art of "claymation". I remembering looking forward to the shows broadcast on sunday mornings on a local tv staqtion(all before cable).
I did not come to know Christ in a personal saving way till later in my life. but I believe the seeds were planted in my youth and were watered along the way.
Praise God for the way he used the program.
Bob
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