Good words from my favorite Baptist contemplative, Jeanie Miley:

When I was growing up, Mary the mother of Jesus was consigned to a minor role, not because her role was minor, but because in my tradition there was a fear of the worship of Mary.  That fear of Mary and the neglect of her story sort of oozed and leaked over into other attitudes and practices within my religious tradition, but ’tis the season to focus on other things, I think.

Now that I’ve got some history at putting away childish things and attempting to grow up, I”m incredulous about that fear of Mary.  When I expressed to my spiritual director, Bishop Mike Pfeifer, that there were some in my tradition who held to the idea that sin came into the world through a woman, he quickly said, “But, Jeanie, the Savior also came into the world through a woman.”

That statement he made poured the oil of grace over a painful wound in my soul.

By all means, read it all.