Men's Health magazine recently listed several of the more creative excuses doctors and physical therapists hear when their patients explain why they don't exercise:

"An earthquake drained my pool."

"My wife would be angry with me if I lost weight."

"I can't because of the volcanic ash."

And (my favorite), "The TV at the gym is always on something I don't want to watch."

Pastors also hear plenty of interesting excuses when it comes to spiritual exercises. Sometimes they utter the excuses themselves. To what extent do church leaders follow spiritual disciplines? Do they practice what they preach?

And what have been some of their spiritual experiences?

To inquire into the spiritual health of its readers, LEADERSHIP randomly selected 749 subscribers (and a statistically significant 58 percent responded) and surveyed what ostensibly seemed to be the unquantifiable: how church leaders practice the presence of God. Here are the results.

The Mystical Presence

Asking someone about their spirituality can ...