51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Whole Lot of Chasing Going On, August 26, 2008
This review is from: Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (Paperback)
When last we heard from Mark Batterson, he was chasing a lion down a pit on a snowy day. Now he's chasing a wild goose. Evidently, there's a lot of chasing going on in Mark's neck of the hood.
Most of us think a wild goose chase is, as Mark puts it, "a purposeless endeavor without a defined destination." Mark thinks otherwise. He notes that one of the Celtic Christian images of the Holy Spirit was An Geadh Glas, "the Wild Goose." Chasing that Wild Goose is anything but a purposeless endeavor, even though we don't know the defined destination at the outset of the chase.
Chasing the Wild Goose pulls you out of "inverted Christianity." "Instead of following the Spirit," Mark writes, "we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve our purposes." Such a form of Christianity is sinful--displacing God from the center and putting our selves there instead--but it is also deadly boring. Mark deploys the image of a caged animal at the zoo to describe the life of inverted Christianity. The natural beauty, freedom, and power of biblical Christianity gets locked away behind safe, comfortable, and predictable bars. If we want to chase the Goose, we have to get out of our cages.
In Wild Goose Chase, Mark identifies six cages inverted Christians get locked inside: responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, and fear. He devotes one chapter to each of the cages and uses one character from the Bible to illustrate spiritual uncaged living. Nehemiah shows us how to live a "responsibly irresponsible life," one that is infused with God's passion. Moses shows us how to break out of our spiritual routines. Abraham shows us how to overcome the antisupernatural assumptions that place limits on what God can do in our lives. Peter shows us how to let God's grace overcome our guilt and lead to a life of gratitude. Paul shows us how apparent failures are actually providential opportunities to spread the gospel. And Jonathan shows us to live on offense, rather than defense. Mark also peppers each chapter with stories from lives of contemporary people who are chasing the Goose.
One of Mark's greatest virtues as a writer is a Rick Warren-like ability to take a simple concept and give it practical legs. I have to confess that the genre of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase is not a genre I read a lot in anymore because it has tendencies toward the formulaic and simplistic. Mark's books are neither of those things. Don't be fooled by his short paragraphs, self-deprecatory humor, or obsession with medial front cortex illustrations. This book, and its predecessor, challenged me a deep, personal level. And they will do the same thing for you.
I highly recommend this book. I gave it to my associate. My family members will be reading it. And I'll be promoting it at my church. If you're tired of dull, passionless, routinized Christianity, read this book! And chase the Goose!
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding devotional about following the Holy Spirit, August 25, 2008
This review is from: Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (Paperback)
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson is like one of those really good sermons that make you squirm in your pew with conviction. Batterson wants to see the end of complacent Christians who want only to live comfortably. He encourages readers to listen for the Holy Spirit and start living on the edge in accordance with God's purpose. He uses several anecdotes to make his case and Scripture to back it up. It's' hard to put into words just how powerful this book was for me. I squirmed through most of the chapters, and it has earned the rare permanent spot on my bookshelf. It's the kind of book that I will read year after year to remind myself of what I should be doing and to measure my progress. Are you ready for your faith to be stirred and shaken out of its boring routine? Read Batterson and chase the Wild Goose. You can't help but be changed.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hang On For the Ride, August 23, 2008
This review is from: Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (Paperback)
Batterson has done it again! I read "Wild Goose Chase" from cover to cover without putting it down. Every chapter made me smile, made me think, and made me pause to reflect on God's heart.
I especially enjoyed Mark's perspective and insight on well known bible stories. Although I've read about Moses, Abraham, Jonathan, Peter, and Paul countless times, Batterson retold the old stories in a new light.
Even though Mark flawlessly kept my attention, I found myself pausing many times to pray.
Mark's language and images have a way of awakening my dormant faith and dreams. I will unquestionably revisit this book.
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