Leftovers - Ask Me Anything (Part 1)

Happy Monday, we are back in to the ERC Leftovers podcast.

I'm Pastor Matt. Pastor.

Chris and Kristen's here too. Hello, I so Matt, Matt was doing

he was checking Kristen's microphone and he made a really

funny. Clue.

And now I can't get it out of my head.

Yeah, misses Doubtfire. Exactly.

That's not what I thought that was wrong.

So that's. Have you seen that movie?

No, no, I haven't. Oh my gosh.

Little baby boy pastor over here.

But miss, you don't want to watch a grown man dressed like

an old woman and, you know, lie to his ex-wife and con everybody

in his life. Doesn't seem great.

OK, well Despite that description I gave it, there's a

lot of good comments. You're like stifling.

You're not. This is.

You can have pure raw reaction in this space, but you get to

stay. Yeah, like you're in the room

for all this. Luckily, we don't have video

cameras, but you're you're a part of this.

Now we have the. I was thinking about this today

and this is dumb and weird. What's the abbreviation of your

job? Like is is it Doo?

Is it just the DO what as as the director of operations?

Because I was, when we were thinking about it, I was

initially kicking around the Director of Ministry operations

like just, I don't know if that's more specific, but then

to be Domo and that and that would be.

Domo, or you got the Mr. Roboto? Domo, J.

CJT called me the doer. And that's so like I like do.

Yeah, if so Doo or just DO is fine.

Like because that's what you do. You get things done, you do

things. So anyway, random thoughts,

which is fine because today's episode is a little bit

different than our usual. I don't know.

It's not going to be that different.

We're just not talking about sermon today.

We have a couple Ask Me Anything episodes coming up here and

still going to get into some theological discussions.

But we've opened it to you, congregation, to just let us

know what you're wondering about and what we should talk about

and how we can have a conversation about it.

And by the way, if you do not hear your question that you

submitted answered on this episode, we've got another one

coming up. And so TuneIn to the next one if

you don't catch it on this one. But please know that we did

receive all your questions and we are excited to answer them.

Yeah, absolutely. So we are going to keep it to

about an hour or so. However, if we get long winded

and only answer 3 questions in the hour, that's just what it's

going to be. And if we get through a dozen,

we, we will. And but we'll just, we're also

just going to record some extra and ask me anything episodes too

and just have those to, to fall back on or drop in random bonus

episodes every once in a while. We'll we'll see what, what goes.

So we appreciate all your submissions and questions.

And yeah, you have to listen to both of them to see if we really

didn't answer your question through both of them.

And it's burning and like you gots to know to your question.

We can definitely we can go get coffee or have a have a

conversation with you too. And I want to get to most of the

theological ones for sure, because I think as much as

awkward as it is to feel like, how do we we do this as

Christians? Like we sit in church and we

feel like I'm the only one that wonders this.

Like this is weird and I don't have an answer to this but we

feel like everyone else has it figured out when in reality

probably most of the room is also wondering the same thing.

So I do want to get to all of them in that way.

Like just because we have individuals that ask questions,

I really don't think you are the only one who is wondering this

thing. I really doubt it.

There's no way, you know, I've often times thought to myself,

not necessarily on this topic, but other topics like, and I'm

going to say this, it'll sound like bad, but I don't mean it

that way. I'm not that special.

What I mean by that is like my thoughts are not so unique that

I'm the only one who has ever raised this question.

It wasn't so long ago I had like this idea or this illustration

for a, yeah, sermon illustration.

And as soon as it came out of my head, I was like, this is the

most genius thing I've ever thought of.

There's no way anybody on earth has ever looked at this text and

thought this. And then sure enough, like a

couple days after the sermon, I was reading some stuff and I was

like, oh, come on, some dude in 1950, whatever, had like a

similar thought. And I was like, that's not OK.

See. So in other words, like all that

to say, if you have a question, you're definitely not the only

one who has that question. Or has ever had that?

Yeah, nothing, nothing new under the sun and cycle, Yeah, tends

to kind of repeat itself. So yeah, we're going to we're

going to dive in. We don't have an ice breaker

because they're all kind of Ice Breakers.

We have the ice breaker, but Miss Domo over here.

I like that one. Like the doer is fine, but yeah,

so what's the, what's the first question?

Kristen's gonna be the question asker mediator here.

And you're, I mean, you're welcome to inject your opinion,

especially on the on the funny ones.

Yeah, but. I mean this. 1 is really

important. Which Disney Princess would you

be and why? Oh my goodness.

All right. Just going right for it this.

This is good. I am so excited about this

question. Yeah.

Who? Who would like to go first?

Oh my. Well, I don't oh, man, I can't

take the pastor hat off. I get like my immediate.

So my immediate reaction to this question is none of them because

God made God made me. I know Kristen's shaking her at

that time because God created the man and woman, Kristen.

You're a. Princess, I'm sorry.

That's just, that's just immediately where it went.

Like that's just not we, we don't we like we never really

had Oliver Oliver's four sisters, obviously.

And I remember there was one time that like one of the

grandmas thought it was cute to also dress him up and dress to

play dress up with his Princess sisters.

And I, I was viscerally mad. Actually.

I was like, no, get him out of that right now.

So anyway, that's my initial reaction to this question is

that I'm not a Princess and I'm not trying to be 1.

So why don't you jump in? And I, I mean I need to, I need

to take off like rational logical binary mat right now and

and let he doesn't let my creative imagination flow a

little bit here, OK. I I hope it actually you I think

you actually like cued me in pretty good with your

explanation of I'm not a Princess, but let me tell you

which Princess I in fact am I. In fact, am Wow.

Well, no well would be in this scenario.

My apologies, I'm not. I'm not actually claiming.

To be this person. OK, Mulan, here's why.

OK, here's why. Mulan has been kind of told this

is the box you live in, don't go outside of that box.

And a lot of the princesses kind of live through that in one way

or another. But in particular, her reaction

to getting outside of the box is so awesome because she and Matt,

I hope you appreciate this. She goes and dresses like a man,

correct? And so I was like, you know, if

I'm going to be a Princess, I'll be a Princess that dresses like

a man and fights with swords and does flying sidekicks and all

this really cool stuff. And so yeah, I, I just, I

absolutely love that character so much.

OK, all right, that's, that's acceptable.

I, I follow the train of logic and I think, I think the one

that I would choose, I, I went a couple different ways in

thinking about this question actually, like which what is my

favorite Disney Princess that's different than the Princess You

would be probably right. Oh yeah, yeah, at least right.

Favorite Disney Princess is Jasmine.

OK. Just like.

Like Aladdin, it's the pants. It's the It's the future.

I yeah, I I think Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie ever, just

like barn. That's my favorite Disney

Princess movie. I don't know, maybe of that.

Yeah, no, I think I would still say of like all of them anyway.

Any of the subsequent ones, the 90s for sure, like that Lion

King, Aladdin, Fox and the Hound era, like, I don't know, that's

just my favorite Disney movie. They.

Had a good run. Yeah, more than The Little

Mermaid, more than whatever else, it's Aladdin for me.

So, and maybe that's maybe that's a surprise.

So I think though, in thinking about the entire Canon of Disney

princesses, though, I think, I think it's Merida.

She's the little redheaded Spitfire from Brave who also is

pushing against the bounds of like who he who she's supposed

to be or, or conforming to. Yeah.

Conforming to what is designed or intended or whatever.

Yeah. Breaking out of that box similar

to Mulan, which made. Yeah, it's kind of a modern

retelling. Not as much as.

I mean, there was the modern day adaptation of of she's the man

for like Mulan. Like that was the real, that was

the real life plot line, right. Of of that.

So yeah, I think it'd be Meredith mostly just because

she's Yeah, she's just awesome. She doesn't she doesn't want

she's OK with being royalty, but she doesn't want to be a

Princess. I think is is a large of what it

is so. OK, Kristen, you do not get to

escape this. You are.

Not from the. Disney Prince because they're

all Princess. I think she.

Should answer the Princess question first.

Are you? Sure, because we had we had to

jump into a different no. That's fair.

That's fair. Wow.

I feel like oh man though I feel like options are limited like

and I feel like much less is made of the Disney Prince.

Like which Prince do you actually want to be?

I. Mean, I know he's not a Prince,

but if I could be a male character in a Disney film, I

would be guest on. Really.

Oh yes, he's the worst I know. And that's why he's awesome.

What? Yeah, look at me.

He's, like, as big as a barge, as they say.

And like, you know, he's hanging out in the local Tavern and

everybody loves him and, like, I mean, dude, I would want to be

gassed on. I know he loses in the end, but

he's also hilarious. And he's also.

I don't know, I just, I've always been enthralled by him.

OK, so is is Kristoff from Frozen a Prince?

Did they ever get married? I can't.

They didn't actually get married, did they?

That's a great question. I.

Cannot. Oh my goodness, I'm I've seen

both of them. He's.

Not a Prince. Well, but would.

But Anna is a Princess, so if they got married, would he be a

Prince, right? That's how that works, right?

OK. He's going to look that up.

But Kristen, you don't get to avoid this question, OK?

Am IA Prince though. Right, and and again, it's I'm

biased. I feel like Aladdin is like the

best Prince of all the like if you actually, I mean there's

Prince Eric from Ariel, but even like the the Prince that no, you

don't and you don't really want to be Eric.

But even like the Prince from Cinderella, can you even name

him No or. The Beast.

What's his actual name? Beastie it's.

Pirates of the Caribbean. I don't know.

Yeah, I feel like, I feel like the Prince question is even

harder. There's not like a Disney

Princess that I would want to be even like.

Well, but then again, this is Kristen's first time on the

show. Therefore, we have to give her

the challenge out of the gate, otherwise it's like we're taking

it too easy on her. This is terrible.

That's not. All right, so.

Christophe, can he be a Prince? Well, OK, so this is where it

gets confusing. Christophe and Anna are married

in the Frozen universe in Frozen 2.

Christophe proposes and she accepts, but they become the

king and queen of Arendelle. Because Elsa is not, she

renounces the throne. So he's technically king, not a

Prince. Yeah.

But he would be the best pick. I think so out of.

Like King Prince. Royal for male royalty his knee.

I think it's Christophe He. Was kind and caring.

Like, yeah, he didn't have all the body hair.

What do you have against body hair?

I don't. Want to be beast?

Oh, I suppose it's a lot. Of work.

Oh man, OK, so I, I am interested though, and we've

we've gone around the circle Princess just for you as the

female in the room. What's what's the Princess role

that you would like? Elsa.

Oh, for reasons of like. She also just doesn't care and

has unwieldy gifts and. When she was just willing to go

out and the relationship the sisters have, yeah.

That's pretty. Good For me, like, as a woman,

that was what was cool about watching those movies is that it

wasn't a man that came to save them necessarily.

Like it was the first time Disney was like, hey, like girls

could do some stuff too. Like, I thought that was cool.

Yeah. Have you seen the Frozen movies,

Chris? I saw the first one and it was

entertaining enough, but also recall, you know, that song from

that movie bled into the culture and it was just too much, OK.

I just feel your pick of Gaston. I feel like that is the the 1st

douchebag Prince in in in in frozen like that's that's the

same that's the same role as Gaston is is that redheaded who

like pulls a fast one on Anna and and wants to extricate Elsa

and they recycled. I can't even remember his name

right. I.

Mean it's because. You don't remember the names of

Disney princesses because they're insignificant Beast, by

the way, human form Prince Adam. Name is.

Adam wow, today years old when I learned that.

Fun fact. Yeah.

Definitely needed that. So all right, I.

Think we I think we beat the Disney Princess, this guy, I

think we covered that from all bases.

So, OK, Anna Merida. Mulan and.

Mulan OK. I like fierce.

Yeah. Fierce and dresses like a man.

Two attributes Grace appreciates about himself, I do appreciate.

That I dress like a man. I'm I'm quite happy with that

choice. We appreciate that too.

Right, yes, All right, let's dive into something, something a

little more serious. What?

What's on your list Kristen at? Times during the service, like

at the end of the service when the pastor gives a final

blessing, I feel like saying Amen but I have not heard others

saying it. Is it awkward for the church to

say Amen? This question is so good.

I love it because our little quiet Midwest nice corner of the

Kingdom like embodies this question.

Is it OK to say Amen? I feel like that's a tension in

the room and maybe it's maybe we haven't taught enough on this.

So what does Amen mean? What is Amen?

Yeah. So the definition of Amen is so

be it or let it be true. So Jesus will sometimes start

sentences with Amen, Amen, and the Bible will often times

translate that into truly, truly, I tell you.

But really what he's saying is I'm doubling down on the fact of

what I'm about to say is absolute, unequivocal truth.

So when we say Amen at the end of a statement, at the end of a

prayer or something along those lines, what we're really doing

is saying, Lord, let this be true for for us, for your

Kingdom, for our community, etcetera, etcetera.

So, yeah, when you give a good old Amen at the end of

something, you're saying, yeah, you're right, let that let that

thing that you just said be true.

So should we in fact encourage that kind of behavior?

We probably should that's it. Sounds really cliche, like if

you watch if you watch reels or you see like those really

expressive preachers on social media that there's crowd,

there's crowd noise and there's like, yeah, Amen.

Preach. Like I feel like that almost

gives it a bad rap that it's just, yeah, let's let's scream

churchy words at the preacher. That's encouraging.

It is encouraging. But like, that's the deeper

meaning in it. I was also, there's also a sense

of agreement in it, right? Like that, that encouragement,

that affirmation of not only let it be true, but like, yes, I, I

agree with that being, I agree with that truth.

I, I want that truth And, and yes, I want to live that truth

too. So no, it shouldn't be awkward.

And we probably should say it much more often like that.

That should be our response to truth, right?

It's why we close prayers with the word Amen, right?

I mean, hopefully thoughtfully worded, meaningfully said, God

honoring prayers. That's that's what we would

close with, Amen. But it's not, it's not just like

it's not just like a period. It's not just a salutation at

the end of the prayer. Oh, it is kind of a salutation

at the end of the prayer. But that's what it means is yes,

I want, I want this truth to happen.

So. Yeah, I, you know what, let me

let me interject here for a second.

And this is this may be only personal to me, but Matt pointed

out the fact that like we are in kind of a Midwest more like, you

know, we're not going to interrupt because that feels

rude and saying Amen feels like an interruption or it feels like

a, hey, everybody look at me. I really don't think that's what

that is. I really do think that man, if

God is moving in you in such a way that you want to affirm what

is happening in this room vocally, absolutely, you know,

And so I, I almost look at it in some ways not that much

different than like, all right. So if I'm in worship in music,

for example, and you know, the thought or the, the, the Spirit

comes to say, man, lift your hands in the air to God.

I should not deny the Holy Spirit that moment of using my

body in worship in the same way then that Amen is like, let's

not deny ourselves that moment of holy worship through

agreement with what God is doing through his word.

And I'll tell you from my particular position, you know,

in, in preaching, and this might only be my opinion, but like

when I look at a, a room full of 200 people, and I've said this

before, you guys have awesome poker faces.

Not super helpful for me as a public speaker, Not great

because I don't know what's connecting or if there's anybody

listening, or if I'm like, I've droned on too long, I need to

stop, right? But when somebody has the

courage to agree by saying something like, Amen, I'm like,

yes, OK, you're with me. I, I know you're following me

and I know like you're hearing the word of God.

So like I really appreciate those.

Things. And to me, it's not distracting,

it's affirming, and it's telling me that like, you're with me.

That's interesting. There's one of, there's one of

our elders who I don't know why he's honed in on this and I

don't think it's always the case every week.

In fact, there were a couple young, there were some moms that

came up to me this past Sunday and apologized for they, they

thought their children were being distracting during the

service. For me, at least, I don't notice

that. I don't know.

It's from years of having my kids just in the front row that

I just block it out. Like I, I don't know.

I've had moms apologize before. It does not throw me off in the

middle of preaching like I had no point.

Am I like trying to fight through out cries from babies?

I, I just, it's, it's not a thing.

But there's one, there's one elder here who when he, when he

compliments me for a message or encourages me after a message,

usually brings up like, man, the room is so quiet today.

Like they were, they were locked in.

And it's interesting that his perspective is quietness is

locked in because because for me, like, and I, I get that

there's a little fear in me that the quiet also means like

checked out or sleeping or, or or not like, that's not, that's

not how he takes it. I guess.

So I can, I can see it both ways because I mean, what do you do?

The one of the best tactics for a room of unruly children is to

start whispering, right? Because they, they, they have to

bring the volume level down to hear what you're saying or

they're, or they're going to miss it.

So I, I see the logic in that where there's a quiet room, but

I also like if we have somehow discouraged reaction or

affirmations of a man, that's that's not our intent at all.

We would both we would welcome that in, in response to song, in

response to preaching, in response to the simple reading

of God's word. That's that's what it is.

That's what's behind the Amen. It was.

It was an affirmation and acceptance, a compulsion of yes,

let it be true. Yeah.

And actually as you were talking, by the way, thank you

for mentioning some of those things because I had not thought

about it from that perspective. But one of the things that I

realized that I do from time to time is like if we are, you

know, if I'm in like a line of thought that like I'm really

trying to grab our audience with sometimes I will ask Amen as a

question to get that pulled out of you to say Amen.

And then a couple of smattering and people go Amen.

I'm like, OK, great, you got it and we move on.

But that is something that I don't actually think about doing

before I do it. It's more of just like a are you

with me? Yeah, I'm checking it.

Are you let it be true, question mark, let it be true, yes.

Like that's the, that's the exchange there.

Yeah, so. No, it's not awkward to say

Amen. We do it.

We would welcome it. And maybe maybe we need to

encourage it because I think you've done this a couple times.

Encourage it in this way. You're making a face at me,

which I wish we had cameras, but encourage it in this way.

Like sometimes I think you've done this and you say and all

God's people said, sure, that's a healthy way to encourage that

without make, without dividing the room and making some people

feel like, yes. And you know, that's, I think

that's the right way to do that. Throw that in there more often.

All right, Next all. Right.

What's your thought about making the sign of the cross during the

service? So we have some people that that

feels natural to do that. What are your thoughts?

OK, what are my thoughts? My first.

OK, again, we're just first thought unfiltered in response

to the Princess question too. I also think of I think of

Aladdin right away when I hear that word.

You look like OK, I got Aladdin on the brain today.

But in the big Prince Ali song, one of one of Robin Williams,

the genius characters lies is lines is a genuflect show some

respect down on one knee. So like I don't know that that

word genuflect, which is the is the sign of the cross.

So that's why anyway, I think of Aladdin when thinking of this

question done with Aladdin talk, hopefully for the rest of the

episode. So I don't think it's again, bad

or awkward. It's not in our Protestant

tradition really. It's a very, I mean, it's more

of a Catholic thing, right? And I don't know that there is

maybe maybe some like, I don't know, like Greek, Greek Orthodox

or some like really conservative wings of Protestantism also do

that. But I immediately think of the

Catholic Church in thinking of that.

And the only question I guess I would have, I don't have a

problem with it would be the why it is, is it, is it out of

obligation? Is it something that you feel

you need to do to like be worthy to receive the truth or the

presence of God in that place? Because I also think of like

usually when you walk into a Catholic Chapel, there's like

the the bowl of holy water there too, right?

And usually do that. And so like, I see that whole

construct as, oh, you're making yourself worthy to come into

this space. And I guess that posture is

fine, but I just don't think it's necessary.

I, I, I don't, I don't think that is required to enter the

House of God to, to come before God and worship with people or

really anywhere. So if it's done out of

obligation or a sense of unworthiness, I would just say,

well, if you're a believer and you profess the name of Jesus

and that he died for your sins, you're, you're, you are worthy.

You're, you're, you're covered by all of that.

So if it's something that is genuine respect and reverence

for for God, and it's a gesture of approaching him, Father, Son,

Holy Spirit, here I am before you.

Sure. Then you flecked it up.

Yeah. So let me jump in and give what

uscatholic.org gives us like a what I would say is a light

historical background quote. It is curious the fact that the

cross does not appear in Christian art until the 4th

century, but the tracing of the cross on the forehead with thumb

or index finger is found in popular Christian usage as early

as the 2nd century. So they will go on to say that

it was not commonplace until more like the 4th or 5th century

to do that. But one of the things that they

say here that I really actually like a lot is first is quote

1st. Every religious tradition

incorporates bodily gestures to thicken the power of religious

language. In that sense, the sign of the

cross is a form of body language like gestures of raising hands

in prayer, kneeling, bowing, and so on and so forth.

So if you look at Protestantism, Martin Luther, and this is not a

Catholic website, I'm doing this research on on the other one,

but Martin Luther encouraged people to do that.

And so like somewhere along the way, Protestantism lost that

sense of wanting to do that or feeling like they need to do

that. But again, I, I love the way the

the Catholic website put that is like a thickening power of

religious language. And so man, do we have to know

there's no law. There's and even the Catholic

uscatholic.org website talks about that.

There's no law about it. There's no biblical basis or

saying you have to do this. So I therefore I don't see

anything incorrect or wrong with it.

I just think it's not widely used in the Protestant church.

And so then when you use that in a Protestant church setting like

Lutheranism or Methodist or whatever, it's going to feel

strange maybe for people to see that because now we so closely

associate with that that with Catholicism.

But it is. But again, even in the 1500s,

Martin Luther, that was not strictly a, you know, like

Martin Luther wouldn't wanted us to have stopped that practice if

we found it beneficial, in other words.

And I also, I would say I know some of you, plenty of you are

from a Catholic background and maybe maybe you do readily feel

this tension on a weekly basis, like this is something you grew

up with and is is something you do.

There have been visitors here, especially this summer for

graduation Sunday and Confirmation Sunday and some

baptisms that we've had, like I've noticed visitors or

individuals in the congregation anytime we've, we've said

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which we usually, I mean, we say

that in the benediction, usually at the end or sometimes when

reading scripture or sometimes in the communion readings, the,

the words of institution or, or what it might be.

We do say those words. And I have noticed there being

individuals on Sunday morning doing that.

And I didn't, I didn't think it was weird.

I in the moment, I think I was more struck with the reverence

that they have that, that, Oh no, this is reminding myself of

the greatness of Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

So if that's, if that's your posture, I like that.

That is kind of like muscle memory to, to reinforce the

words that are being said. If that's if that's the posture,

sure. If it's a sense of just habitual

tradition with no real extra meaning attached to it, it's

probably not necessary. Well, and I don't know if people

see this, but like, you know, for baptisms, for example, when

there is water applied sometimes like that is in the sign of a

cross. Or when there's healing, you

know, a healing prayer with oil, it's in the sign of a cross.

And so all of those things, Ash Wednesday, Yeah, Ash Wednesday,

all those things have, you know, church tradition.

I don't know why I brought that up after the audience is like,

what is Ash Wednesday? We don't, we don't have an Ash

Wednesday service here, but. That's a can of worms.

But, but no, I mean, honestly, like I don't think there's

anything wrong with it, especially as Matt said, like if

your heart's there, because that gives you that greater sense of

spiritual connection with your Father and the Son and the Holy

Spirit. Hey, more power to you.

Yeah. And that's, that's really that

heart posture is where it is. I'm sure.

I think there's a lot more of you that are comfortable with it

then maybe you were 567 years ago.

But I, I wear hats a lot of the time.

I, I, I preached in a hat this past Sunday.

I've had conversations with some of you about why I do that or

why, why I don't take it off or, and if any of you are truly

questioning, I, I think the heart matters more than that.

If you're concerned about my standing before God in that I

need to take my hat off to be worthy before him, I would I

would welcome that conversation, but on the surface I I think I

would disagree with the premise of that conversation, but I'd

love to talk about it. So I like with anything with

that with what we wear on a side.

I wear a tie like twice a year. Maybe I'm not that there's

anything wrong with that if if you wear, but if you wear a tie

out of a sense of obligation, because it's church and this is

what we wear. If you, if you, I don't know, I

think that's slippery slope. If you wear a tie out of a sense

of no, I'm going to I'm I'm dressing my best to come before

my maker. And and this is this is a

physical action to affirm the words that I'm saying.

No, I am, I am coming before you to exalt you in in my best.

Great. That's but what's the heart

behind it? That's what matters.

In the same way I've heard people talk about dressing their

worst to to reveal this is this is how broken I am.

And yet I, I come here to worship you even inside my

brokenness. So I oh.

We see that I mean Job right dressed himself in sackcloth and

came before the Lord like that was that was also a cultural

just sign of God. I got nothing left and I need

you because I'm coming with nothing, right.

So yeah, that's interesting. That's.

Cool, I like that one. All right, a little lighter, but

it's probably going to be a hard one.

Oh boy. Favorite pizza topping?

Wow, OK, I'm. Going to make mad mad.

You're going to make me mad. Oh, I know.

What you're saying? Oh.

Yeah, I know what you're saying. No, it is the worst answer, but

there's going to be a lot of people that agree with you.

OK? Are we picking one or are we

like making your ideal pizza the.

Question has plural toppings. Favorite pizza toppings I feel.

Like, yeah, what's your, like, favorite pizza?

If you're going to make your ideal best pizza ever, what's on

it? Perfect.

OK, now let's just let's just clarify before anybody answers

anything. The only real foodie in this

room is Matt, and so I'm going to probably say some stuff

that's going to make him shake his head, but it'll just

entertain me all the more because I know he's going to

answer. With things that aren't actually

pizza topic he's. Great to see, Super.

So there you go. Kristen, you want to kick this

off? I'm going to go.

First, OK, so it's pineapple. Just pineapple.

Not the ham, not Hawaiian. Just pineapple.

And like lots of it. Yes, I.

Want pineapple in every bite? Yes.

Yes. That's gross.

High 50, man, I don't like that. I don't like that answer.

OK, well I will and I think I've actually shared it.

Not even the meat, like just. Sauce in it for the.

Pineapple came. For the pineapple, stay for the

cheese. I like it less now.

Oh man, you. Know what?

OK, so not a fan. So I think I mentioned it

before, but I'll give the short version.

My gateway pizza into liking pizza at all was Taco pizza.

And so some people will tell you that if you put all the toppings

of a Taco on top of a pizza, it's no longer pizza.

But I will tell you that I do not care.

It's awesome and Taco pizza is the best thing ever.

Wow, OK. Do you have a you discriminate

between the Taco pizzas? Because everyone like Cappy

Joe's says they're the OG, right?

Like they're they're the 1st. Yeah, because they didn't use

sauce, they use beans on the bottom.

OK. OK, so but everyone has a Taco

pizza like Godfathers and Casey's and Hall of Fame.

They all even, I don't know, does Papa John's do a Taco

piece? I don't know.

We had Taco John's way down in Davenport, but.

I don't know if they still do I. Don't so like is there a best of

the but where where do you prefer the Taco pizza?

You know what, if you can get it supreme minus olives at Happy

Joe's, it might be the best. Wow it.

Might be the best, but it yes, supreme, basically supreme means

it's going they're going to use sour cream like embedded in the

pizza like you're not going to put.

Up do they still do the bean? And and bean and chips and

tomato and lettuce and onion and but I just take off the black

olives. But otherwise their supreme Taco

is in fact, supreme. Yeah, I went there.

I said it. So good.

I love all right. So the foodie in the room needs

to give us like I'm. Going to give you a very foodie

answer. OK, so there is a chain of pizza

restaurants and they might be outside the Twin Cities,

Minneapolis Saint Paul area, but I first experienced them in the

Minneapolis Saint Paul area while Emily was at college at

the University of Minnesota. But they're called Punch Pizza.

And they're one of these like Neapolitan 506 hundred degree

brick oven that you order the thing and it takes like 90

seconds and it's it's done. It's good to go.

It's on the hand, hand tossed crust that gets singed on the

outside and high quality ingredients and everything.

So my favorite combination on their menu, it's called the

Siciliana. It is prosciutto artichokes,

Ascalene olives and basil. And if it's with their classic

marinara and mozzarella on there too, because that's just what

comes on it. So that's that is my favorite

like combination of toppings on pizza, prosciutto, artichoke,

olive and basil. And not just like your regular

green they're they're Ascalene olives that are like green Greek

olives. You.

Definitely lost me on the olives and the artichoke.

There's no way. There's no way.

Wow. You know, like artichoke dip.

Oh, no, I'll leave it. I'll leave it.

OK on the pizza note though. So because Matt's the foodie and

Chris's nut. Oh.

No, I remember in high school there was leftover pizza left in

your car one night. One night, I don't remember

what, what kind of what, there was Taco there.

And the next morning he went out and he got in his car and he ate

it like it's. Still, good ships were stale and

gross. OK, so this was like during the

summer time. So when I got back into my car

the next day, and mind you this is Pizza Hut's Taco with stuffed

crust. So when I got into my car the

next day, it was sitting in the back window sill and it was hot

and I was like, dude, what's the difference?

It's like if I more questions, it's like if I just put it in

the microwave, it's fine. And here I am all these years

later. I did not die.

He. Didn't Well, and I wonder, like,

have you even had food poisoning?

I have. Yes, he has.

Yeah, it was that it was later that day for sure.

No, I actually, and I don't know if this is true, but I actually

think, I think I kind of have an iron stomach.

No, I'm not joking. Like and that's not a brag

thing, probably. With your buckets of cottage

cheese, yeah. Yeah, that's not a brag thing.

It's just like, I've been given this gift of, Yep, given a gift,

I said it of just being able to consume really terrible things

and not really feel a lot of negative repercussions, at least

on the surface. So the only time I ever actually

did get food poisoning? McDonald's. 2:00 AM, Iowa City.

So many poor decisions in. That sentence, a lot of poor

decisions led to that poor decision, which led to a

terrible day. So that's a good record, though

that's the only one. That's the only one.

Back to the Taco pizza, just because I'm always curious, I'm

not a huge fan of cold pizza in general.

OK. So, but you'll do the weird rear

view windshield leftover Taco pizza that sat on your car.

Story aside, will you reheat Taco pizza?

The lettuce gets a little bit funky, it does, but yes.

And and then aren't the chips. Oh, they're chewy.

Yeah. OK.

All right. Yeah.

So for. Those reasons like for me Taco

pizza is 1 and done if it's not finished in that sitting, it's

gone like like I will throw, I will actively throw it but.

This is why people should respect your opinions on food

and they should not respect mine because I do things like that.

You're. Willing to Burrow your head

through the through the chewy Doritos and the wilted lettuce

just to enjoy the Taco pizza. Yeah, that's right.

I'm not willing to do that. I'll stick with my artichokes

and prosciutto. Thank you.

Don't don't respect my choices on food.

You nobody should look to me for advice on that topic that was.

A good one. I like that that came in I I

feel like we don't need to attach names, but that was that

was that was little little Brooks Perrin.

I know that was that was a child submitted question I.

Would love to know Brooks favorite pizza and I would.

Like to know which one of our pizzas he would eat because I

don't think it's Matt's. I don't think it's yours either,

but it's the Taco pizza. Let's go bro I.

Think Chris probably wins either that he's got like a super

refined palette for a 5 year old and I that would be very excited

about the life that he's going to lead.

All right, gentlemen, that's awesome.

Enough about pizza. When we go to heaven, are we

going to what it will be currently, or are we transported

in time to heaven here on earth? All right, I'm going to be

honest, I did not. We have a show doc.

I did not fully read through this question before right now,

but exploded my mind whole a little a little bit.

I have so much, so much reaction.

But you have you did you did some research and some actual

responsible pastorly things in response to this.

So I'm going to let you jump off the first thing that kind of

what what it will be like currently do we what are we

saying that heaven is currently is also part of my question for

this question, but go ahead. Well, let me let me give you a

very quick answer and then try my best to explain it like

through a scripture. So are we going to what it is

currently or transported into in time to heaven here on earth?

So in other words, like there's there's some interesting things

about this question, like, so we have to start with the new

heavens, the new earth that is a fixed point in time that God

only knows. We do not get to Fast forward to

that moment. So that's the quick answer to

that question. If I die today and Jesus does

not come back, I will be in heaven with the Lord, not on the

new heavens and the new earth, which is a future fixed point

that he has determined, right? But let me let me read this to

you from Isaiah 2619. You're dead shall live, their

bodies shall rise, You who dwell in the dust awake and sing for

joy, for your due is a dew of light, and the earth will give

birth to the dead. So there is a fixed point in

time that God has in mind for that new heavens, new earth.

And we don't get to Fast forward to that.

But that also does not stop us from being in heaven with

Christ. Consider what he said to the

thief on the cross. Amen.

Amen. Truly, truly.

I tell you, you will be with me in paradise today.

Today. So like, yeah, we, we don't get

to hop the line to new Heaven's new earth, but I suspect our

time in waiting with Christ and with the Saints who are there as

well. That is a glorious time that you

wouldn't want to skip over anyway.

Yeah. And gosh, for me, I don't know.

I have so many other so many other thoughts on this because I

do think you're, you're right. There are fixed points in time.

But do we are people on the other side in heaven right now?

Are they experiencing time in the same way we are right now?

Like I don't know for sure that they are.

I got something to read to you. Oh.

Boy, OK. Let's read from Revelation 69

and 10. When he opened the 5th seal, I

saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the

Word of God, and for and for what they had borne.

They cried out with a loud voice.

O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long time question, how long

before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on

the earth? Verse 11.

Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a

little longer another time reference until the number of

their fellow servants and brothers should be complete who

who were to be killed as they themselves had been time stamps.

OK. Unknown to us like that time

frame, but time stamps themselves they're they clearly

understand a sense of time. There is a sense of time, sure,

but is it the same? Is an hour, an hour and is a day

a day and is a year a year? That's more of what I'm like I.

Have no answer for that I. I, I don't think we do.

I don't think we no for. I'm just saying logically,

obviously it would make sense that yes, it does line up, but I

think it's possible that it doesn't.

Peter to the Lord a day or 1000 years is day a day, 1000 years

kind of thing, right? So that's also like I hear, I

hear what you're saying that there will be new, but isn't it

possible that even those in heaven like it's almost, it's

almost a blink. It's it's like a much shorter

time before the new heaven than like the thousands of years that

it's that it's taking on earth for it to happen?

I think I think that's possible, but I'm not saying you have to

think that way, but I just those are the questions that come to

mind with this question. But when we go to heaven, are we

going to what it will be currently or are we transported

in time to heaven here on earth, the root of the quest?

So you'd have to kind of decide some of those things that how

does how does time work? Are we, if we die, are we like

fast forwarded? Kind of does it feel like we're

fast forwarded to when the new heaven is?

I would say no. I would say it's not like we die

and then all of a sudden we're just like jumped forward till

God brings about the new heaven. But I think it's like.

I think it could work that way. It could, but then it makes this

Revelation chapter 6 text very tricky because of the because of

Revelation 6 · chapter mention

the time sense that they ask in the time sense that he gives

them wait a little bit longer so they.

Clearly have like they're anchored there and yeah, waiting

so. I, I, I do think like, yeah,

yeah, I understand. So we're to answer this

question, we are going to what it currently is pre new heaven.

I have no reason to believe otherwise unless myself and a

lot of a lot of scholars are badly, badly misreading this

text, which I don't think you take this text metaphorically.

I think you take it pretty literally, yeah.

Yeah. So.

That's from Revelation 6. Again, you reference verses 6,

chapter 6, verses 9 through 11 in Revelation.

We'll have some notes in response to the We'll probably

post all these questions in the comments section so you can

reread them if you didn't catch the full reading of them as

they're as they're happening here.

I. Would love to just follow up

with one more thing just to really cement some of this

stuff. Second Corinthians 58, the

apostle Paul writes. We are confident, I say, and

willing rather than to be absent from the body, to be present

with the Lord goes on to say the expression absent from the body

refers to physical death. When this life ends, believers

are immediately ushered into the glorious presence of the Lord.

Then we will see Him face to face.

First Corinthians 1312 and at that moment we will be quote

present with the Lord. To fully to fully appreciate the

significance of this Second Corinthians 5/8, it is important

for us to review the immediate context and 2nd Corinthians 5

one through 7, Paul contrasts the temporary nature of our

earthly bodies with the eternal nature of our heavenly bodies.

And it goes on. By the way, that comes from

gotquestions.org. I thought that was a great

reference to this question. So yeah, I just, I think there's

enough biblical evidence and backing to answer that the

question the way we did with with a really good amount of

confidence. OK.

Yeah, I think, I think that's what it is going going to what

it will be currently. Will we?

I would say going to what it will be currently, but I also

think we're probably not. I think time does move

differently. I, I think, I don't, I don't

think it will be whatever if, if we die today and the new heaven

happens 2000 years from now, I don't necessarily think that it

will be 2000 heaven years, right?

The same way that 2000 Earth years would be.

The only way I can figure this, and it's not gonna be adequate,

but it's the best. It's the best I've got.

So if I think about like my best, most fun, most

exhilarating, just the most awesome day of my life, we say

time flies, right? Time flies when you're having

fun. OK?

I cannot even begin to compare this, my best day ever on earth

with like what it must be like to be in the presence of Christ

and the Saints and the angels worshipping, echoing, holy, all

these things. Like, how can I even, like

compare that to a good day here on earth and a good day here on

earth? It feels like I woke up and all

this awesome stuff happened and it was over way too fast.

So like in heaven, like with the Lord?

Yeah. Like I I don't even know how you

could like, get a sense of time when you're so overwhelmed by

the glory of God. There's no way that we're going

to be as distracted or time fixed as we.

I was even thinking about what was I?

Oh, I'm listening to Sorry, random thoughts with Matt today,

now that we're on the AMA. I'm listening through the audio

books of the Aragon series right now.

I don't know if you ever read those 20 years ago when they

came out, but set in a medieval sorcery, wizardry delves

dwarves, sort of sort of setting.

But I just think there, there, there's a point in the third

book where they're preparing for a wedding.

And one of the characters said, yeah, we'll let we'll let you

know the hour. How like, like how you, you

don't have wristwatches. You're making camps on the side

of hills. Like, what are you, how are you

saying time? But it was also immensely

freeing to like, no, they just like they're just going about

their day and their little community.

Like, hey, walk over to the stream.

We're having a wedding. Like it's just the freedom of

the time flow in that. I think it's going to like,

we're not going to be so exacting in time.

That's going to be wildly freeing in heaven.

Yeah, one of the things I read recently and I wish I had it

pulled up. I should have been ready.

I had no idea we're going here though.

But but there there was a somebody, I can't remember if he

was Greek or Roman, but when like the sundial became like the

standard issue, like they this this writer, he found that his

life got infinitely. More terrible it was.

So much worse because now everybody's like, oh, well, when

the shadow hits this spot, you have to be doing this.

You have to be going to bed, you have to be having this meal and

all of a sudden the freedom to move about as naturally as

possible, it was instantly taken away.

So like, think about the fact that like I talked with Dom

about this, when why do we have meals when we have them?

Why do we have to do it at that time?

Now, you might argue that there's just a natural flow to

our day, but the flow to our day comes from the fact that we are

all bound by this clock. And so, oh, well, you have to

eat lunch on your lunch break. And this is when your lunch

break is. My body isn't hungry, But like

you're telling me I have to do that.

And so we fall into these habits of not letting my body or

whatever decide when it's time based on the natural inkling of

what's happening. No, it's based on a clock, which

is so arbitrary to what my body needs and or wants at that

moment. Right.

So anyway, like, yeah, I just, I just think like, yeah, the the

time thing, it's it is. I agree with whoever that Greek

or that Roman writer was. Like this is maybe the one of

the worst things we've ever done to ourselves.

And by the way, this is a whole different thing, but I'm going

to say it anyway. If we didn't have a clock,

Church could go as long as needed to go and nobody would

question it and it would be awesome and I'm going to stop

talking. I.

Don't know if that's true it. Would be awesome for some people

it. Would be awesome for some people

and some would still just get up and leave when they've had

enough or they get hungry or they get hungry.

Yeah, there it is. All right, I think this will be

our last one. OK, all right, think.

Dig deep, will we wear clothes in heaven 'cause this is how it

'cause they, Adam and Eve didn't before the fall?

OK, so. Are we going to wear clothes in

heaven? OK, I let these questions have

all been good, but they make me think in layers too.

First off, I I don't think we will.

I don't know. I guess I don't know what I

think actually, I'm going to immediately walk that back.

I. Like, I like your, I like your

first response. That's pretty funny.

I'm going to. Immediately walk that back.

But if we do wear, what it will say is if we do wear clothes in

heaven, it won't be because of a sense of shame, correct?

Right. It won't be for the reasons that

Adam and Eve clothed themselves after the fall.

And if we don't, it will be because we are mentally,

aesthetically, relationally as Adam and Eve were before the

fall. They did.

They didn't feel a sense of shame or nakedness or or need to

clothe themselves. So I guess, oh man, I don't know

that there's any. Do you have an answer?

Do you have a solid answer, an opinion?

I. I well, I have some Bible

verses. OK, so let's see here where we

at, We are back in Revelation because you know, we always find

ourselves there. So Revelation 4/4 reads this

way. Around the throne there are

Around the throne there were 24 Thrones, and seated on the

Thrones were 24 elders clothed in white garments with golden

crowns on their heads. OK, so I mean, at least in

heaven as it sits now before new heavens, new earth, everything

is shiny, bright and new, At least in that space, it seems

for sure that there is clothing. Now, we talk metaphorically

about being clothed in the righteousness of Christ all the

time. But if you actually go to like

Jesus tells this parable basically right about like being

invited into the into the wedding party, Like, hey, here's

the party and you know, the master, like, you know, and

somebody comes in with the wrong clothing and he gets kicked out.

So therefore, whatever this clothing is, and again I think

metaphorically, it's the we're clothed with the righteousness

of Christ, but still clothing thematically seems to be an

important theme inside even the stories that Jesus tells.

OK, All right, so. That's fun.

I could I could see that and it'd be maybe kind of weird if

they're just like it's like Jesus with his little like King

of Kings, right writer sash and then and then just like 20 and

then just like 24 old dudes standing around in white

clothing and then the rest of us don't have robes like that would

be that would. Be weird.

See, the problem is, you know, we create mental images of what

you describe. And that's why I was like,

please don't do it. Because as soon as you start

saying this sash with Jesus, I was like, Oh no, please stop.

I didn't ask the question, man. I'm not.

That's true whoever. Asked the question is

responsible for wherever my mind went with it, you know?

Yeah. I understand.

Kristen's losing it you. Feel.

It's humorous to me how reserved you feel the need to be when no

one can actually see you and this and you're also trying to

make sure that no one can actually hear you.

Yes, it's it's funny. She's.

Like a church bounce, I. Am I don't want to be

distracting? I think we should do.

I think we should do one more because it's related to we had

this like big Oh no, yeah, yes. We have one more like heaven

themed question and I feel like we should just we should just

knock them all out and get the heaven discussion.

I. Got you done.

Oh, this one is so fast and, and OK, Christian, go ahead.

OK. So are people still married in

heaven? Because when you get married,

you usually vow till death do us part.

OK, quickest answer ever. And we can talk about the

terribleness of Mormonism if you want to.

Wow. But let's hear, let's let's do

countdown, let's see if we have the same answer.

All right, answer like 321 answer.

All right, Ready 321. No.

No, and here's here's why, because you know, this is not

shrouded in any mystery whatsoever.

This is a direct quote from Jesus himself.

For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in

marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Not like angels like we get wings and whatever.

No, like we are like angels in terms of we don't have those

relationships in those ways anymore.

Matthew 2230, that is. Now from Jesus lips you might

ask but I love my special I love them so much, why can't I still

be married to them? What?

If I don't die before Jesus comes back, what if I'm still

like, death didn't part us? What if Jesus comes back and we

go straight to heaven? Oh, I haven't heard that one

yet. That's a funny twist.

I think it still applies. Yeah, absolutely.

But. The like till death do us part

also is not rooted anywhere in scripture right?

Like we don't, we don't have a, we don't have wedding vows or

like service orders in the Bible, right?

Like that's all those words are man made anyway.

Right. Yeah, yeah.

So. I'm just that's not really like

a construct for it just to make the no undo the question that I

just asked. Thanks for rewinding that.

That's pretty good. No, I but think about it this

way and this, this is a maybe a better thing to add, not better.

Oh my gosh, don't say that. It's not better than what Jesus

said This can be. Objective.

Subjective. OK, but think about it this way.

If in this perfect state without sin, every relationship I have

with everybody who I meet is not marred or affected or changed or

hurt by sin in any way, shape or form.

It means that every single relationship I have with that

every person I encounter is perfect.

And there is perfect love and there's perfect respect and

there's perfect honor going both directions.

Therefore I don't play favorites in that world because that's

what I'm saying with my spouse, You are my favorite neighbor,

you know, and on our best days, that's absolutely true about our

spouse. You are my favorite neighbor.

And so like all neighbors are favorite neighbors.

And when there's no sin in anybody's life.

And it would also get really weird with people who've been

married multiple times, like even obviously like afflicted by

divorce and bad marriages or or less than God honoring

marriages. But also there's plenty of

people who just their spouse has has they had a God honoring

marriage. Their spouse has passed on and

they've and they've remarried and and had another had multiple

God honoring marriages. That would get real weird real

fast. If we're are we purporting like

Poly polygamy? That's when the riot.

Yeah, purporting polygamy in heaven.

No, that's I don't think that's how it's going to work.

Not going to work it that way at all.

And in fact, you know, Jesus, that's exactly what they try to

catch Jesus in. It's this really weird scenario

of like, hey, so this woman married a brother and he died

and they didn't have any kids and then the next one married

her and he died and they didn't have any kids and so on and so

forth. 7 times over she got married to seven brothers and

then they're like, yeah, so who's wife is she?

And Jesus, like you fools, y'all are just being ridiculous.

And so that's where you know this answer comes right out of

there, too. All right, we did it.

This is we got a little a few bonus minutes there.

We went beyond our usual hour, but yeah, I want to get through

that. The pack of heaven questions.

We've got a lot more. Thank you for all your

submissions. If you have follow up questions

to our answers to the questions that you heard on this, please

interact with us in that way. We'll attach some of the

references, both of the research references and the scripture

references we'll attach in the show notes below the episode so

you can see the questions and just kind of the notes we had

for the answers there. Yeah, it's been, it's been

great. Thanks for tuning in and and

listening along, hopefully laughing along or learning along

with us as well so. Please, next time you see me or

Matt, please just tell us which Princess you are.

That would be awesome either. Princess or pizza?

Tell us one of the two. No, but yeah, no build up

needed. Just yeah.

Just shout it out. Thanks for hanging with us,

Kristen. Yeah, been great.

So we'll be here next week too. It'll be fun.

Till then, have a blessed week Church.