A Tacoma, Washington, newspaper carried the story of Tattoo the basset hound a while back. Tattoo didn't intend to go for an evening run, but when his owner shut the dog's leash in the car door and took off for a drive with Tattoo still outside the vehicle, he had no choice.

Motorcycle officer Terry Filbert noticed a passing vehicle with something dragging behind it, "the basset hound picking them up and putting them down as fast as he could." He chased the car to a stop, and Tattoo was rescued, but not before the dog had reached a speed of 20-25 miles per hour, rolling over several times.

Too many pastors end up living like Tattoo, their days marked by picking them up and putting them down as fast as they can.

It's time to learn another way to live. To do that, we must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives. As much as we complain about it, though, there's part of us that is drawn to a hurried life. It makes us feel important. It keeps the adrenaline pumping. It means I don't have to ...