Several years ago, I discovered Mark Batterson when I was studying churches that were using creative methods for communicating the Gospel in today’s culture. Since that time, Mark has become a well-known writer and speaker. His first book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, is one of my favorite books. In fact, God used it to help me take a leap of faith when I transitioned to NewSpring Church.
Mark’s second book, Wild Goose Chase, comes out in a few days. I recently caught up with Mark for an interview about his new book and his current chase. Here’s a slice of our conversation.
TONY: Given the success of your first book, are you excited or nervous about your new book?
MARK: Wild Goose Chase is the proverbial sophomore album so I’m not gonna lie—it was a very difficult book to write! But when the last period went on the last page, I really felt like I had written what God wanted me to write. I also prayed over it enough to really believe that it is a divine appointment waiting to happen. Can’t wait to see the way God uses it.
TONY: Why are you sending us on a wild goose chase?
MARK: Because most people are bored with their faith. And as Soren Kierkegaard said, boredom is the root of evil. You cannot live by faith and be bored simultaneously. I’m hoping Wild Goose Chase will make people uncomfortable with how comfortable they are and invite them into the spiritual adventure of chasing the Wild Goose.
TONY: Isn’t the the concept of a “wild goose chase” contrary to knowing and following God’s will?
MARK: The metaphor for the book actually comes from the Celtic name for the Holy Spirit. They called him An-Geadh-Glas or the Wild Goose. At first earshot, it almost sounds a little sacrilegious. But what a great description of what it’s like to live a Spirit-led life. All bets are off. You never know who you’ll meet, what you’ll do, or where you’ll go. And that uncertainty can cause tremendous anxiety. But it also goes by another name: adventure!
By the way, one myth I try to dispel in the book is this concept that the will of God is an insurance plan. It’s anything but. The will of God is a daring plan. And we’re called to live dangerously for the cause of Christ.
TONY: How are you experiencing the adventure of pursuing God in recent days?
MARK: Leading National Community Church is a tremendous adventure in and of itself. But on a personal level, one of the ways I’ve tried to adventurize my life is by setting life-goals. I think most of us don’t get what we want out of life because we don’t know what we want. And for me, life goals are an expression of faith. Faith is being sure of what we hope for! Love to offer a free download called 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals to your blog readers. It’s available at www.chasethegoose.com.
TONY: Be honest. Aren’t you a little jealous you didn’t write about killing cockroaches instead of chasing geese?
MARK: How about if I stick with the animal kingdom. You take insects. And we’ll meet in mammals. I did promise my publisher that my next book will not have an animal in the title! I’ll let you take over from here!
Wild Goose Chase releases next week. You can pre-order your copy for early shipping on Amazon.
