He drives by a fitness gym about every day, just drives by.

That hasn't seemed to help his physical conditioning at all, said a laughing Lee Herberg, administrative pastor of First Lutheran Church in Mandan.

But that's about as close as he gets to fulfilling the New Year's resolution he's made for three years running - soon to be a fourth - to start on a daily exercise program, Herberg said Monday.

Herberg said he thinks resolutions are doomed to fail because people tend to go into the new year "kind of walking the same comfortable path … . We bring the routine of years past with us.

"We are not very good at fixing ourselves,"he said.

So instead of focusing on themselves, he thinks God would prefer resolutions that center more on their neighbors, their community, giving back.

And he thinks it would be wise to keep in mind that God's in control, and trust that "Jesus Christ fixes our brokenness by redeeming humanity."

Most people of the cloth interviewed Monday to share their resolutions didn't have any - because of their lack of faith.

In resolutions, not God

And for Ivo Schock, pastoral administrator for Corpus Christi Catholic Church, that's not the way she wants to live her life - a once-a-year, goal-type thing.

She said she has daily goals.

"I'm a daily person who lives life to the fullest,"she said.

Her goals Monday started with going to the YMCA to exercise and doing 20 minutes in prayer.

She said if she were to have a resolution, it would be to remind herself daily of "the awareness and reliance on God who lives in me and others, the respect for all people,"she said. "That's really my goal in life."

"We're all 'gods,' lovely people, and to receive all of them in God's name," Schock said.

She said when she meets someone, she becomes "totally a listening person." She said she thinks most people just want to be received, listened to, loved. But, she said, we often get too busy to do that, and her hope is that would change - that people would take the time to do that for someone.

"Can I just stop and be present with that person?"

She said for those who have a challenge and do nothing - who don't fulfill that resolution - her advice is to "go for it."

"Give yourself the energy and the reward," she said.

And, she added, "When you pray every day, you live like that."

Prayer was high on the lists of other pastors interviewed.

The Rev. Thomas Marcis, of Zion Lutheran Church, said if he had a resolution it would be to give himself more prayer time, "so I could find time to strengthen myself spiritually." He said that now he takes about 20 to 30 minutes daily to pray.

He said he also thinks he needs to spend more time on his physical fitness. And as far as the country is concerned, he'd like to see more resolve on becoming a country that deals with its differences in a more positive manner.

"When we talk about religion or social issues, we seem to be so divided, there's so much division, we can't even talk about possible solutions,"he said.

Thomas Kramer, pastor of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, also focused on prayer. If he were to have a resolution it would be to continue his prayer habit.

"I'd continue to spend my time in prayer each day, a couple of 20-minute periods,"he said, in addition to time spent in prayer during services and other events.

"If I have a friend and Inever talk to him, the friendship doesn't last," he said.

Alan Steier, pastor of care and visitation for Century Baptist Church, said that instead of New Year's resolutions, during the first part of January he'll do what he always does. He'll read through his journal, reminding himself of the things he jotted down that he learned from various sources, books, things he heard during interactions with people, or during prayer time or through scriptures.

Through that process, kind of an evaluation, he'll consider how he grew in the past year, or not, and look ahead on how to improve.

He said he wants to continue to improve on empowering others instead of being a person who tends to proceed with the mindset of "If it's going to be done right, do it myself." So he teaches an emerging-leaders class and is mentoring someone.

And he wants to approach the year letting God have the control.

"OK, it's 2008, Lord whatever you have for me … .," he said.

The Rev. Patrick Schumacher, of St. Joseph's Church in Mandan, said he gave up resolutions about 15 years ago, deciding they really didn't work.

He said he makes changes when he decides he needs to, regardless of the day. Like Feb. 4, 2004, when he decided to give up chewing tobacco.

"I feel better, but I haven't had a good day since,"he said and laughed.

If he were going to make a resolution, it would be to be more aware, every day, of all the blessings in his life.

"Icontinually take for granted people who love me, take for granted my health and I take for granted that … in America, we have such a prosperity in our lives," he said.

(Reach reporter Virginia Grantier at 250-8254 or at virginia.grantier@bismarcktribune.com.)