I just finished reading my advance copy of Mark Batterson’s newest book, Wild Goose Chase. As an avid and long-time follower of Mark’s blog, this book is full of content that he has been sharing online for the past few years. I would almost dare to say that it’s a great follow-up book to In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Batterson’s most recent book (My review HERE). It’s almost like an extension of what I’ve been reading online from him. It’s kind of a cool addition to reading the book.
Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit through life. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something…
Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.
Batterson writes about six cages “that keep us from roaming free with the Wild Goose and living the spiritual adventure God destined us to.”
They are:
1. The Cage of Responsibility
2. The Cage of Routine
3. The Cage of Assumptions
4. The Cage of Guilt
5. The Cage of Failure
6. The Cage of Fear
The book was disturbing to me in a good way. It forces me to evaluate some things in my own life, and really made me feel uncomfortable about some of my current situations. Batterson really puts the burden on the reader (in this case being me) to step up and rattle the cages that have held us from following the Spirit’s lead. It would be a great resource for a small group study, or something to add to an accountability group setting. I highly recommend the book!
Check out ChasetheGoose.com for some great additional content, including Mark’s 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals. I have an extra copy to give away. If you can tell me what movie I referred to at the end of my most recent talk at church, I’ll ship it out ASAP for FREE!
++UPDATE++
We have a winner! Lisa Burkhart, the children’s ministry director at Fallen Timbers Community Church in Waterville, Ohio, has correctly answered the question… ‘Batman Begins.’ And officially becomes the only person who listened to my talk last Sunday. :)
