That's right. The holy men and women of our nation say they work about 55 hours a week and that such a schedule is having a negative impact on their lives.

Their reasons for working themselves so hard are simple: They are driven by a need to please every parishioner, and they can't say no. So they end up virtually friendless, often with troubled families and low self-esteem. It's a sad story and one that has been true for decades.

I once asked a banker what he did at work all day. He said, "In the morning I stand in front of a mirror and practice saying no. Then I go to lunch, and that takes up the rest of the day."

I think that's what pastors have to do, stand in front of a mirror and say, "No, I can't teach your Bible study because I have to spend some time preparing my sermon and praying that day."

A friend of mine says that saying no is a liberating experience. I've tried it, and he's correct -- it was so liberating that I continued saying no until I had my life under control.

The survey that yielded the statistics above was conducted by Christianity Today, an evangelical weekly magazine. Six hundred clergy participated in the survey. While more than 91 percent felt satisfied with the work they do, someone has to tell these people they are leading pitiful lives. Because much of the work they have to do is at night and during weekends, they have to find time for themselves: family time, exercise, recreation and prayer.

The pastors said they spend 4.5 hours a week on personal devotions. I find that hard to believe. If that's true, why do they have so much stress? Why are 70 percent of them without a close friend? Why do they let their ministry negatively affect their families? If these people were really praying 4.5 hours a week, wouldn't God communicate to them that they ought to get a friend and they definitely should spend more time with their family?

They said they spend 11 hours preparing their sermons. Judging by the sermons I've heard lately, that's poppycock pure and simple.

I know a preacher who goes into his study every day at 8 a.m. and instructs his staff to not bother him for four hours. He prays. He studies scripture and he writes his sermon for the week. Twenty hours of time each week to get close to his Lord. Then, in the afternoon and evening, he takes care of other business. He still works a 60-hour week, but he is refreshed by the devotional time and has the satisfaction of knowing he's going to preach a genuine barn-burner every Sunday.

I know clergy get wrapped up in the needs of their parishioners. It's an all-consuming job. In addition to the heavy work load, there is virtually no escape from the people you serve.

Recreation is often done with members of the congregation. If a pastor exercises, it may be with one or more parishioners. Eventually they lose track of the world and all that goes on outside the parish. Life becomes one-dimensional. As they rush from one task to another, mindfulness is lost, and they find themselves in a robotic pursuit of congregational love and praise.

The result is a life without new ideas. The same sermons are boiled over until they are threadbare and bland. A preacher who is never challenged by opposing ideas stops thinking.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Smart preachers know how to take care of themselves. They are usually the most effective preachers -- successful, as well.

Pastors, it's time to take control of your life. First, you have to get organized and schedule time for your daily prayer and sermon preparation. You have to find a friend, someone who will not gasp and scold if you tell them you sometimes lust after members of the opposite sex.

You have to take time for your family, get exercise and have some laughs. You're sending the opposite message to parishioners from what you want to send, especially to youth, who already believe that being a preacher must be the gloomiest job on the planet.

Clark D. Morphew