How Mary brought me back to Jesus, part 1
How Mary brought me back to Jesus, part 2
For the past six years or so I've developed an interest in church history. Partly because I love history, and partly because I was tired of believing things without understanding WHY. My study Bible says this passage means such and such, but this other denomination/group/scholar says it means THIS...sheesh. Whatever you believe, you cannot make the argument that any given passage can't be taken a variety of ways. And people do.
Anyway.
I read a book, Evangelical is Not Enough: The Worship of God Through Liturgy and Sacrament by Thomas Howard. And LOVED it. I cannot recommend it enough. And it's where I developed a love for and interest in the sacraments and liturgy as a means to worship God. We joined a church that utilizes both--the first time I belonged to a church that did this. I wouldn't go back the other way now. I love the fullness of it.
I also developed a great curiosity about the Roman Catholic Church and the Reformation and the "why's" behind all of that. I discovered that there is a lot--a LOT--of misinformation out there surrounding all of this stuff. Including the "hero" Martin Luther. I guess I'm one of those people who thinks the Reformation wasn't all good. Some good came of it, but I also believe much was lost, and has yet to be recovered.
So a friend pointed me towards these blogposts yesterday, and I enjoyed reading this woman's perspective. I'm still not sure how I ultimately feel about the Marian doctrines, but I DO think there is much, much more to Mary the mother of Jesus than I have previously believed. She was blessed among women, afterall. Chosen to be Jesus' mother. That in and of itself is astounding.
Does anyone else ever think about these things? I partially blame my husband, because he is the one who got me hooked on Catholic theology. So yeah, it's all his fault.
