I've never met Mark Batterson before, but after reading his new book Wild Goose Chase, I feel we are kindred spirits and men with the same heart beat. The theme of his new book is on reclaiming the adventure of pursuing God by following the lead of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The title of the book reflects the Celtic Christians and their name for the Holy Spirit - An Geadh-Glas, or "the Wild Goose." Mark uses this theme of chasing the Wild Goose as the backdrop for exploring how to live on a radical journey with Jesus and why we often settle for a complacent religious experience instead.
The book is structured to look at six cages that keep us from engaging in the life that God desires for us to live. Those six cages are: the cage of responsibility, the cage of routine, the cage of assumptions, the cage of guilt, the cage of failure, and the cage of fear. Mark takes biblical characters and traces their steps of chasing the Wild Goose to show how we can break free from each cage. Mark's strength as a writer is that he is able to communicate profound truths with simplicity. His conversational writing allows for the reader to easily follow where he is leading and to grasp the content being shared. Mark uses humor and personal story to help make the connections to the points he is communicating. This makes the book a very easy read.
Wild Goose Chase is a great book for those seeking to understand how to live a more vibrant faith. This book is not designed to answer deep theological questions or as a model for having a successful church. This book is intended to serve as a catalyst for breaking out of the rut of religion and into the adventure of relationship with God. I believe Mark delivers on his intentions of writing such a book. He challenges the status quo of Christianity and dares to believe that there is something much deeper waiting to be found. In Mark's own words: This book is about more than you and me experiencing spiritual adventure. In fact, this book is not about you at all. It's a book about the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who wants to write His-story through your life. And if you read through Scripture, you'll discover that His favorite genre is action-adventure (Wild Goose Chase, pg.11).
I highly recommend the book for those who desire to begin living that action-adventure. The challenge is great, but the reward is greater. The book is available for purchase at all major book distributors, including Amazon. I am also giving away a free copy of the book. If you would like the free copy, simply leave a comment on the blog expressing why you desire to "chase the goose" in deeper ways in your life and I will choose one person to send the book to. The book is 174 pages long and published by Multnomah. If you would like to learn more about the book or Mark, visit: www.chasethegoose.com or www.markbatterson.com
Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington, D.C.'s, National Community Church, widely recognized as one of America's most innovative churches. Mark is the author of the bestselling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and a widely read blogger. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and their three children.
I need the book. I spent some time in solitude this morning (first time doing that) just asking God to speak. I have never sat down and meditated on God before like that and while I was able to lay it all out at Jesus feet, I still feel separated. I'm looking in every area of my life, seeking out the weakness and asking God to make strong and confident. Everyone keeps saying God has big plans for me, but I want to feel that closeness to Him at the same time. What you described about the book is what I'm looking for in my relationship with Jesus. I don't want to be bound by the typical human life anymore. Much love to you!
ReplyDeleteWe are working on the study based on his book. He is a fun guy to work with. We also did Chase the Lion, which was a study based on In a Pit...
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