Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church, a multiple site church making an impact in the nation’s capital. To say, as the cover does, that it is “widely recognized as one of America’s  most innovative churches” is to be guilty of stating the obvious. In the interest of full disclosure, I like Mark Batterson and respect his deep desire to be part of a growing church that brings glory to God.
 
The book examines six “cages” that keep us from following the Holy Spirit:
    *  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 has a Biblical “answer” to getting out of the cage and following the leading of the Spirit.

If you’re looking for a systematic, scholarly examination of the Holy Spirit, this is not it. If you’re looking for a real world. “how does this really work” examination of what it means to “follow the leading of the Holy Spirit", then Wild Goose Chase is the best book I’ve read on the subject. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter to help personalize each principle. The title (I wish I'd thought of that) comes from Celtic Christians who had an "intriguing name for the Holy Spirit - An Geadh-Glas - the Wild Goose.. . . much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed" (page 1)

This is a short (partial) catalog of the passages that caught my attention.

“,,,the will of God is neither logical not linear. It is downright confusing and complicated. . . . A part of us feels as if something is spiritually wrong with us when we experience circumstantial uncertainty.” (p. 2)

[From one of the “Your Chase” study questions section] “How have you been living “inverted Christianity,” trying to get God to serve your purposes instead of you serving His purposes?” [ALAN’S NOTE: I love that turn of phrase, “inverted Christianity.”]

“Signs follow faith. It is the Biblical pattern.” (p. 32)

[From the chapter on the “cage” of guilt] Peter failed three times: Jesus recommissioned him three times. But that’s not all. Have you ever noticed when the commissioning took place?. . . . Jesus reconditioned Peter while the roosters were crowing. From that moment forward, the rooster’s crow was no longer a reminder of his failure that produces feelings of guilt.”

“Jesus likened the working of the Holy Spirit to the wind. Sometimes the Spirit is a light wind from the south. Other times He is a gale-force wind that batters our ship. Sometimes the Spirit is a headwind that seems to frustrate our plans. And other times He is the wind at our back.” (p. 134)

My recommendation: If you’ve settled into a rut (the definition of a "rut": a grave with the ends kicked out) and are calling it the Christian life, read this book. If your small group wants a practical book to work through that’s thoroughly grounded in Scripture, try this book.

If you have a suggestion on a rating scale for when I excerpt a book (sort of like “Two thumbs up!”) please let me know. Something appropriate for a person whose screen name and e-mail have “pastordude” in them, of course.