Thoughts From Francis

by Francis MacNutt
August 1993

Dear Friends,

Rather than sharing, as usual, our thoughts about various aspects of healing, I want to tell you news about some of the important things that are happening to us.

The first is that we are to renew our wedding vows on Saturday, July 31, and are honored to have Bishop John Snyder (the local Roman Catholic bishop) preside. This will be a small gathering of a few friends, meeting in great joy. When we announced in the last Newsletter that we had received a "dispensation," many of you asked what that was. Technically it means that my request to "be reduced to the lay state" has, after 13 years, been granted and that we are free to marry in the Roman Catholic Church, and, most especially, that we are now welcome to receive the sacraments there.

One of our Protestant friends put it in ordinary language by congratulating us on receiving our "pardon." That puts it very simply.

To us the most joyful aspect is the reconciliation part of it all. In fact, after word of the dispensation got out, we received, within a month, invitations to speak from five Roman Catholic groups.

Having spoken of this joy, we also want to say how much we feel part of our Episcopalian friend's community, and how indebted we are to Bishop Frank Cerveny and his wife Emmy for inviting us to come to Jacksonville and to move our CHM center here from Clearwater, FL. Their unfailing love and support have kept our hearts and heads high during these past years. In fact, it is amazing to us to see that our Protestant friends have been the most eager to celebrate this long–awaited reconciliation. We still feel united to them, as much as ever.

The other thing I would like to share concerns my health. Some months ago I mentioned in the Newsletter that I had passed out twice while driving and the doctors were conducting tests to find out why. Naturally, some of you have asked what happened.

The results have really been good. After extensive (and expensive) tests, they found that my heart is in good shape. The only thing the doctors could figure out was that my heart had such a slow beat (sometimes in the 30' s) that, when coupled with an occasional missed beat, not enough oxygen always reached the brain. Their medical answer was to insert a pacemaker which gives an electrical impulse to the heart and keeps it at 60 beats a minute. So I'm back to jogging and all those good things. (After 7 years I will need to get the battery replaced.)

So we want to thank you for all your prayers and, most especially, that Rachel seems to have been healed of asthma at our February conference!

Love in Christ,
Francis, with Judith,
Rachel & David

Francis MacNutt is a Founding Director and Executive Committee member of CHM.