Review - Wild Goose Chase

I recently pointed out a new book by Mark Batterson, author of "In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day". I thought the title of his first book was unusual, but his new one is ever better: "Wild Goose Chase" - not quite what you would expect for a book describing a life committed to following the Holy Spirit!? Is it worth reading?

I was fortunate to get a review copy this weekend and can now answer quite definitely... yes! The subtitle itself gives a great clue as to the focus of this book - "Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God". Not a theological treatise, nor a how-to manual for the spirit-filled life, Wild Goose Chase is a heart-to-heart chat from a pastor who loves God, dreams big, learns from failure. This pastor has found in following the Holy Spirit a life of adventure that not only makes us more alive, but honors God and gives Him the chance to shine in our lives.

The book spends some times discussing various barriers that can cage us in and prevent us from going on a Wild Goose Chase. There include:

The Cage of Responsibility
The Cage of Routine
The Cage of Assumptions
The Cage of Guilt
The Cage of Failure
The Cage of Fear

Each of these cages can prevent us from living the kind of life God wants us to live - prevent us from a dream or a ministry that transforms lives. I shared some background on Mark and the book in a recent post. Rather than try too hard to explain the book in this review, let me share a few of my favorite quotes...

"Some of us live as if we expect God to say, 'Well thought, good and faithful servant!' or 'Well said, good and faithful servant.' God isn't going to say either of those things. There is only one commendation, and it is the by-product of God-ordained passions: 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'" Right after this he notes that the book following the gospels is not the "Book of Thoughts", but the "Book of Acts".

Like the disciples who didn't just live an exciting post-Pentecost, but turned the world upside down, so can we. "Wild Good Chase is an invitation to be part of something that is bigger than you and more important than you. Are you in?"

"Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death."

At about 174 pages, Wild Goose Chase (Mark Batterson, Multnomah Books, 2008) is a very easy read which I highly recommend.

You can get it at Amazon for about $11, or... maybe get one for free?! I was sent a spare copy of the book to give away on this blog, so if you're interested, just respond in a comments to this review and I'll select someone at random in the next week and send them a free copy!