Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God - Batterson, Mark Review & Synopsis

Synopsis Most of us have no idea where we're going most of the time. Perfect. "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." --from the introduction Review Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington, DC's National Community Church, widely recognized as one of America's most innovative churches. NCC meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the city, as well as in a church-owned coffee house near Union Station. More than seventy percent of NCC'ers are single twentysomethings who live or work on Capitol Hill. Mark is the author of the best-selling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and a widely read blogger (www.markbatterson.com). He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and their three children.The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit that has always intrigued me.They called Him An Geadh-Glas, or "the Wild Goose." I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Spirit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger and an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious at first earshot, I cannot think of a better description of what it's like to pursue the Spirit's leading through life than Wild Goose chase. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something that institutionalized Christianity hasmissed out on. And I wonder if we have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something less-much less-than what God originally intended for us. I understand that "wild goose chase" typically refers to a purposeless endeavor without a defined destination. But chasing the Wild Goose is different. The promptings of the Holy Spirit can sometimes seem pretty pointless, but rest assured, God is working His plan. And if you chase the Wild Goose, He will take you places you never could have imagined going by paths you never knew existed. I don't know a single Christ follower who hasn't gotten stressed out over trying to figure out the will of God. We want to solve the mystery of the will of God the way we solve a Sudoku or crossword puzzle. But in my experience, intellectual analysis usually results in spiritual paralysis. We try to make God fit within the confines of our cerebral cortex. We try to reduce the will of God to the logical limits of our left brain. But the will of God is neither logical nor 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. But that is precisely what Jesus promised us when we are born of the Spirit and start following Him.1 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. I think it is only fair that I give a Wild Goose warning at the outset of this book: nothing is more unnerving or disorienting than passionately pursuing God. And the sooner we come to terms with that spiritual reality, the more we will enjoy the journey. I cannot, in good conscience, promise safety or certainty. But I can promise that chasing the Wild Goose will be anything but boring! ISLANDS OF EDEN Not long ago I visited what must be the closest thing to the Garden of Eden left on earth. It almost felt wrong arriving in the Gal�pagos Islands via airplane. Washing ashore on a bamboo raft would have seemed more apropos. We spent most of our time island hopping in a boat that didn't seem large enough for the twelve people on board or the twelve-foot ocean waves we encountered. And sure enough, we discovered that the boat had capsized not long before our visit. That tidbit of information would have been nice to know before we climbed aboard- but it definitely added an element of adventure. The entire week was full of new experiences. I went snorkeling for the first time and saw some of God's amazing underwater creations. Where did He come up with those color schemes? In an unscripted and unforgettable moment, my son Parker and I went swimming with some playful sea lions. And I accomplished one of my life goals by jumping off a forty-foot cliff into a narrow river gorge at Las Grietas.What an adrenaline rush! The trip consisted of one adventure after another. So the saying in Spanish that we saw on a Sprite can that week seemed fitting, and we adopted it as our mantra: Otro d�a, otra aventura. Translation: "Another day, another adventure." I love those four words inspired by Sprite. They capture the essence of what we experienced day in and day out in the Gal�pagos. I think those words resonate with one of the deepest longings in the human heart-the longing for adventure. And I'm not sure I could come up with a better description of what it's like to pursue God. Take the Holy Spirit out of the equation of my life, and it would spell b-o-r-i-n-g. Add Him into the equation of your life, and anything can happen. You never know who you'll meet, where you'll go, or what you'll do. All bets are off. If you would describe your relationship with God as anything less than adventurous, then maybe you think you're following the Spirit but have actually settled for something less-something I call inverted Christianity. Instead of following the Spirit, we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve our purposes. And while this may seem like a subtle distinction, it makes an ocean of difference. The result of this inverted relationship with God is not just a self-absorbed spirituality that leaves us feeling empty, it's also the difference between spiritual boredom and spiritual adventure. CAGED CHRISTIANS Situated five hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador, the Gal�pagos chain is one of the most primitive places on the planet.While many of the islands in the forty-nine-island archipelago are inhabited,most of them are absolutely undomesticated.When I was there, I felt as if I were as far from civilization as I could get. It was Edenic. Somehow I felt a new affinity with Adam in the Gal�pagos environment. It helped me imagine what life must have been like before the Fall. Scripture tells us that one of the first jobs God gave Adam was naming the animals.2 And we read right past it. But it must have taken years of research and exploration to complete the project. I don't think God paraded the animals past Adam in a single-file line; I'm guessing God let Adam discover them in their natural habitats. Imagine how thrilling it must have been for Adam to catch his first glimpse of wildebeests stampeding,mountain goats climbing, or rhinos charging. That's how I felt when I was in the Gal�pagos. And it was there that I discovered the difference between seeing a caged animal at a local zoo and getting within arm's length of a mammoth marine iguana or walking a beach with hundreds of barking sea lions or floating above manta rays as they glide along the ocean floor. It's one thing to see a caged bird. It's an altogether different experience to see a pelican that looks like a prehistoric pterodactyl circling fifty feet above your boat, dive-bombing full speed into the ocean, and coming up with breakfast in its oversize beak. Few things compare to the thrill of seeing a wild animal in its natural habitat. There is something so inspiring about a wild animal doing what it was created to do. Uncivilized. Untamed. Uncaged. So a few weeks after returning from the Gal�pagos, our family spent an afternoon at the National Zoo near our home in Washington DC. It's a fantastic zoo. But it just wasn't the same after the Gal�pagos. I'm ruined for zoos. It's not the same seeing a caged animal. It's too safe. It's too tame. It's too predictable. At one point we were walking through the ape house, and I had this thought as I looked through the protective Plexiglas window at a four-hundred-pound caged gorilla: I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do to animals. I love the church. I bleed the church. And I'm not saying that the way the church cages people is intentional. In fact, it may be well intentioned. But too often we take people out of their natural habitat and try to tame them in the name of Christ. We try to remove the risk. We try to remove the danger. We try to remove the struggle. And what we end up with is a caged Christian. Deep down inside, all of us long for more. Sure, the tamed part of us grows accustomed to the safety of the cage. But the untamed part longs for some danger, some challenge, some adventure. And at some point in our spiritual journey, the safety and predictability of the cage no longer satisfies.We have a primal longing to be uncaged. And the cage opens when we recognize that Jesus didn't die on the cross to keep us safe. Jesus died to make us dangerous. Praying for protection is fine. I pray for a hedge of protection around my three children all the time. You probably pray that kind of prayer too. But when was the last time you asked God to make you dangerous? I would like to think that when I pronounce the benediction at the end of our church services, I am sending dangerous people back into their natural habitat to wreak havoc on the Enemy. LIVING DANGEROUSLY Every once in a while, I have random thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. Here's a thought that fired across my synapses not long ago: Do angels yawn? I know it seems like an inane theological question, but I seriously wonder if angels have the capacity to get bored. More important, I wonder if some of us are living such safe lives that not only are we bored, but so are our guardian angels. If they could, would our guardian angels coax us out of our cage and beg us to give them something dangerous to do? In the pages that follow you'll meet some dangerous people. Mind you, they're ordinary people. They have doubts and fears and problems just like you and me. But their courage to come out of the cage and live dangerously for the cause of Christ will inspire and challenge you to follow them as they follow the Spirit's leading. I think of Ana Luisa, who used her award miles to fly to India and sacrificially serve some of the poorest of the poor at a medical clinic. I think of Mike, who started a dangerous ministry in a dangerous place-a porn show in Las Vegas. I think of Adam, whose sensitivity to the Wild Goose resulted in a life-changing encounter in a mission trip half a world away. And I think of Becky, who made a conscious decision to endanger her own life by becoming part of the crusade against human trafficking. Since when did it become safe to follow Christ? Maybe it's time to come out of the cage and live dangerously for the cause of Christ. SENSE OF ADVENTURE The Danish philosopher and theologian S�ren Kierkegaard believed that boredom is the root of all evil. I second the notion. Boredom isn't just boring; boredom is wrong. You cannot simultaneously live by faith and be bored. Faith and boredom are antithetical. Against that backdrop, consider the gospel story of the rich young ruler. On paper the rich young ruler had it all: youth, wealth, and power. But something was still missing. The rich young ruler was bored with his faith. And I think it is evidenced by the question he asked Jesus: "What do I still lack?"3 I'll tell you exactly what he was lacking: spiritual adventure. His life was too easy, too predictable, and too comfortable. He kept all the commandments, but those commandments felt like a religious cage. I think there was a deep-seated longing within him for something more than simply not doing anything wrong. Listen, not breaking the prohibitive commandments is right and good. But simply not breaking the prohibitive commandments isn't spiritually satisfying. It leaves us feeling caged. And I honestly think that is where many of us find ourselves. Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of serving as lead pastor of National Community Church inWashington DC. As with every church, our demography and geography are unique. Seventy percent ofNCCers are single twentysomethings navigating the quarterlife crisis. And most of them live or work on Capitol Hill. So the observation I'm about to share is undoubtedly shaped by the life stage of our congregation and the psyche of our city. But I also think human nature is human nature. And here is what I've observed: many, if not most, Christians are bored with their faith. We know our sins are forgiven and forgotten.We know we will spend eternity with God when we cross the boundary of the spacetime continuum. And we are trying our best to live our lives within the guardrails of God's good, pleasing, and perfect will. But still we have a gnawing feeling that something is missing. I think the rich young ruler is representative of a generation that longs to come out of the cage and live dangerously for the cause of Christ. But too many among us end up settling for spiritual mediocrity instead of striving for spiritual maturity. Jesus speaks to that deep-seated longing for adventure by challenging us to come out of the cage. But coming out of the cage means giving up the very thing in which we find our security and identity outside of Christ. In the case of the rich young ruler, his cage was financial security. Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."4 A part of us feels bad for the rich young ruler, right? How could Jesus demand so much? He asked him to give up everything he had! But we fail to appreciate the offer Jesus put on the table. I live in the internship capital of the world. Every summer tens of thousands of young adults make the pilgrimage to DC to try and land the right internship with the right person because they know it can open the right door. It's amazing how many members of Congress were once congressional pages and how many Supreme Court justices were once Supreme Court clerks. I don't care how much this rich young ruler had to give up-Jesus offered him so much more. This was the opportunity of a lifetime: an internship with none other than the Son of God. Come on, that's got to look good on your r�sum�! You can't put a price tag on that kind of experience. But the rich young ruler turned it down. He opted for the cage. And he made the mistake so many of us make: he chose an accessorized life over a life of adventure, over a life of chasing the Wild Goose. Now juxtapose the rich young ruler with the twelve undomesticated disciples who accepted the unpaid internship. They heard the parables with their own two ears. They drank the water Jesus turned into wine. They filleted the miraculous catch of fish. And they were there when Jesus turned the temple upside down, walked on water, and ascended into heaven. In a day when the average person never traveled outside a thirty five-mile radius of his home, Jesus sent His disciples to the four corners of the ancient world. These ordinary fishermen, who otherwise would have lived and died within sight of the Sea of Galilee, were sent to the ends of the earth as they knew it. What a Wild Goose chase! According to the third-century historian Eusebius, Peter sailed to Italy, John ended up in Asia, James the son of Zebedee traveled as far as Spain, and even doubting Thomas chased the Wild Goose all the way to India. Just like the rich young ruler, we have a choice to make. The same offer is extended.We can stay in our cage, end up with everything, and realize it amounts to nothing. Or we can come out of our cage and chase the Wild Goose. SIX CAGES In the prequel to this book, In a Pit with a Lion on a SnowyDay, I retell the story of an ancient warrior named Benaiah to show how God wants us to chase the five-hundred-pound opportunities that come across our path. And I cite the aphorism "no guts, no glory." When we lack the guts to step out in faith, we rob God of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him.5 In Wild Goose Chase, I want to take it a step further and show you how all of life becomes a grand adventure when we chase the trackless, matchless Goose of heaven.We'll retrace the steps of six Wild Goose chasers who come right out of the pages of Scriptu... Wild Goose Chase Most of us have no idea where we’re going most of the time. Perfect. “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.” --from the introduction Most of us have no idea where we’re going most of the time." Cry Out to the Lord Sometimes it's for you. Sometimes it’s for your child, a family member or friend. Sometimes it’s for our broken world. We've all been there ... We've cried out to the Lord. Join noted authors like: Ronnie Floyd, Mark Williams, Dennis Gallaher, Dave Butts, Doug Beacham, Byron Paulus and Bill Elliff, Frances Chan, Kay Horner, Mark Batterson, Josh McDowell, Ed Stetzer, Anthony Evans, Nick Hall, Alton Garrison, Oscar Thompson, Dallas Willard and Sammy Rodriguez as they provide twenty unique studies in how to develop a Spirit-empowered faith, which will help you to: Learn to look up when everything around you is falling apart Call out to the Lord in humility and brokennessYield fully to the working and empowerment of His Spirit, rather than rely on your own power for spiritual transformationEnter into bold and believing prayer for yourself, loved ones and the world around youMore deeply embrace the possibilities and calling of co-laboring with Jesus to live out his mission. This resource will help you cry out to the Lord and reset your walk with God! Reset My Walk with God Intimate Life Ministires. Appendix. ABOUT. THE. AUTHORS. AND. THEIR. RESOURCES. MARK BATTERSON Excerpt from: Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God Copyright © 2008 by Mark Batterson Publisher: ..." Called 2 Love Like Jesus Jesus’ call is for love to be the identifying mark. A simple command but perhaps one of the toughest to follow. This Christ-like love is to be the essence of who we are and what we demonstrate to others. Called 2 Love Like Jesus is an anthology of devotions designed to help you live out this kind of love. Each devotion includes an inspiring meditation from notable spiritual leaders like Mark Batterson, Gary Chapman, Dallas Willard, Joni Eareckson Tada, Tony Evans, Francis Chan, Les Parrot, Gary Smalley, and Sammy Rodriguez. Scriptures and interactive questions encourage personal reflection and life application. Embrace God’s command to love and begin a lifestyle of living and loving like Jesus. Excerpt from: Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God Copyright © 2008 by Mark Batterson Publisher: WaterBrook Multnomah—an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved." The Big Book of Christian Mysticism In popular usage, "mysticism" typically refers to New Age or Eastern forms of spirituality. However, the mystical tradition is also an important component of the Christian tradition. At its heart--and much like its expression in other faith traditions--Christian mysticism is an ancient practice that incorporates meditation, contemplation, worship, philosophy, the quest for personal enlightenment, and the experience of Divine presence. This volume is a comprehensive introduction and guide to Christian mysticism. It is a big book about a big possibility: the hope of achieving real, blissful, experiential unison with God. Among the topics covered here are a general introduction to mysticism, the Bible and mysticism, the history and types of Christian mysticism, biographical sketches of leading Christian mystics, and practical instructions about practicing mysticism today. This is a breathtaking work that explores a form of spirituality that has changed lives over the course of 2,000 years. Learning about Christian mysticism and how it has been articulated through the centuries will prove inspirational for today's seekers, regardless of the faith tradition. "The mystic is not a special kind of person; every person is a special kind of mytic." --William McNamara Batterson , Mark . Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God . Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2008. Binz, Stephen J. Conversing with God in Scripture: A Contemporary Approach to Lectio Divina. Ijamsville, MD: The Word ..." Jump into the Story Preaching is a challenging, privileged, and awesome responsibility. As important as mining the text for its meaning and message and making connections to our twenty-first-century world is the responsibility to engage the imaginations of the people in the pews (or chairs). In this book, Ray Friesen--life-long preacher and retired pastor--has provided twenty examples of how to be creative and engage those imaginations. Most were written under the pressures of bi-vocational ministry (preaching forty times a year as half-time pastor and operating a mediation practice). They are offered to you, not as sermons for you to preach, but as examples of what is possible, even with all the other responsibilities you may have. Each sermon and type of creativity will create an opportunity to set your imagination and creativity free to engage the imaginations, hearts, and dreams of your parishioners. Batterson , Mark . In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2006. ———. Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God . Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2008. Baxter, Jr., Jessie R. “This World is not my Home." The Dusty Ones Through every turn of the biblical story, God's people are a wandering people. When they are rescued from slavery in Egypt, God sends them into the desert, where they wander for a generation. Jesus and his disciples wander from town to town. In fact, some of God's most important truths are imparted to people with dusty feet as they travel on the road. With his trademark thoughtful introspection, A. J. Swoboda boldly suggests that wandering is not an absence of faith but a central component of faith. In The Dusty Ones, he leads the restless, the frustrated, and the curious on a spiritual journey to uncover the answers to questions like - Do I wander because I'm failing or because God has left me? - Is the desert something I can overcome? - Why is God sometimes "hidden" in the Bible? - What do I do when the end seems nowhere in sight? This compassionate and contemplative book offers hope and peace to Christians and seekers alike as they make their way down the winding road of faith. I like how Mark Batterson puts this as he speaks of “inverted Christianity” in his Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2008), 4. Chapter 11 Perceived Famine 1. Kurt Neilson, Urban Iona: ..." ReStart Your Church As a result of the near-death experiences of many congregations today, denominational leaders are looking for ways to “revitalize” churches. The act of revitalization often starts with the assumption that what was once vital can be vital again, if church leaders simply do the same better. So congregations increase programs, budgets, and formulas. They look back in time, trying to recapture a period when the church’s role in society was vital. A church, seeking revitalization, typically does more of the same, but faster. However, the central story of our faith is the story of both death and resurrection. Followers of Christ like to live out the resurrection part of our faith, but they often aren't very comfortable dealing with what must come before resurrection - death.The church must be willing to live out its entire story, from beginning to end. The church needs to trust that God will bring to life what God wants to. This book suggests shifting away from the language of revitalization toward the story of death and resurrection. Escobedo-Frank focuses on ten specific “re-“ words to outline a strategy for dying and resurrecting again - for restarting the church: Recognize Realize Restore Review Reform Resensitize Release Reinvigorate Reemphasize Rebirth Mark Batterson , Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2008), 35. 5. Your Dictionary, http://thesaurus.yourdictionary.com/reinvigorate. 6. Ibid. 7. Thomas A. Langford, Wesleyan Theology: A ..." Plan B Learn how God often does his best work in our most hopeless situations. What do you do when a shattered dream or an unmet expectation causes you to turn to Plan B? Pastor and author Pete Wilson uses real life stories of disappointments and tragedy along with biblical stories such as David, Joseph, and Ruth to help readers face their own overwhelming situations and through them to learn God is working to help them surrender their plans to receive his. He identifies our common responses to difficulties and offers hope, helping us to: Understand what God might be up to See how surrender helps us to receive God's plan Embrace the community of believers Reconcile a God of love with a life of tragedy and suffering. Wilson points readers to the cross as not just the starting line but the centerpiece of our stories with God where we turn in our Plan B and find the undeniable relationship between crisis and true spiritual transformation. What do you do when a shattered dream or an unmet expectation causes you to turn to Plan B? Pastor and author Pete Wilson uses real life stories of disappointments and tragedy along with biblical stories such as David, Joseph, and Ruth to ..." Gateway to a Supernatural Life An Experience That Transforms You and Lifts You into Partnership with God Many people are curious about the baptism in the Holy Spirit but are confused or cautious about what it involves. They ask themselves the following: “Is the baptism in the Holy Spirit really necessary for believers?” “Is it available to everyone?” “Is it as relevant today as it was in Bible times?” Written in an accessible style and incorporating a solid biblical foundation, this book clearly shows how to receive the ministry of the Holy Spirit, whom God has sent to help, guide, and empower you. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is truly the gateway to a supernatural life! Author Jeff Leake addresses these essential questions and more: What is the baptism in the Holy Spirit? What is the real purpose of speaking in tongues? Can every believer see supernatural answers to prayer? How does the Holy Spirit heal people from hurt, loss, and feelings of inadequacy? Can the Holy Spirit help overcome addictive patterns? The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience that transforms you and lifts you into partnership with God. Through this book, you will come to grips with the supernatural potential of the Holy Spirit in your life. Read it with a hunger to see God do all that He wants to do through you! In what area of your life do you most need the help of the Holy Spirit? 1 Mark Batterson , Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2008), 4. TWO It's Visible I want to live so that ..." I Like Giving Rich with inspiring stories and practical suggestions, I Like Giving will help you create a lifestyle of generosity. Choosing to live a generous life can transform you and the world around you. Something incredible happens when giving becomes your own idea, not something you do out of duty or obligation. When you move from awareness to action, miracles happen. As you make giving a lifestyle, you’ll realize you’re not only loving life more, you’re also creating a more generous world— a better world for all of us. Inside you’ll find tips about: • Thinking of giving as something you get to do, not something you have to do. • How to raise kids with a sensitivity to others’ needs. • Making a difference without being a millionaire. • Practical ideas for ways to give to people around you every day. I Like Giving shows you how to experience the joy of giving because we all have something to give. Beyond money or things, giving can be a listening ear, a touch, or simply the gift of time. Giving is living. ... the Power of Cheerful Giving (New York: Henry Holt, 2010), 22. Tom Rath, Strengths Finder 2.0 (New York: Gallup, 2007). Mark Batterson , Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2008), ..." A Million Ways to Die We talk a lot about resurrection. What about the death that must come first? Through story and biblical insight, Rick James reminds us that when Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him, he is describing a path of death, not a path to death. Giving up our own plans in order to meet someone else’s needs. Allowing God to shape our dreams, even as we lose a relationship, a job, a hoped-for future. Being alert to these daily opportunities to die to ourselves is how we discover that every act of dying, done in faith, leads to spiritual growth. As we learn to embrace the little deaths of everyday existence, we lose our taste for lifeless religiosity. Our appetite for a thriving, vibrant life in Christ grows—and our own experience motivates others to live out their extraordinary mission on earth. In truth, death is not an ending. It is the only way to experience abundant life. Mark Batterson , lead pastor of National Community Church, Washington, D.C., and author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase : Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God “A book on death? Sounds deadly!"