25 things

There has been a post on facebook called 25 random things about you. I have been tagged a few times but hate signing up for apps so I will post them here. I hope I can think of 25 things.
1. I am listening to 80s music.
2. I have twin sisters Erin and Emily.
3. My mom was born in Germany
4. My dad and I have the same middle name, Wyatt
5. I have three dogs, charlie, aja, and puppy
6. Two of my dogs are named after Steely Dan songs
7. I like to hunt
8. I fished everyday from the ages of 7 and 12, everyday
9. I used to stand on the ice on the edge of the river and fish, mom would kill me
10. I enjoy and nice chiante and some fave beans
11. I watch king of the hill if I don't fall asleep first
12. I look forward to having kids
13. I have eaten guinea pig
14. I hate that we focus on paparazzi when we are in a recession and at war
15. I like history
16. I think I am a good golfer until I play
17. I love my wife more than I ever thought possible
18. I like being my own boss
19. I woke myself up farting on a plane when I was 13 sitting next to a good looking girl
20. I have eaten Jamaican jerk in Jamaica
21. I love prime rib
22. I teach apologetics at church
23. I have little tolerance for ignorance
24. I hate the bailout
25. I don't like religion light
26. I love the Catholic church
27. I love my nephews
28. I let Aja in when Jennifer has gone to bed, we fall asleep in the recliner
29. Peggy has big feet Hank has a narrow urethra
30. I like having the best grass in town
31. I want to live in Montana, or at least a place where the closest neighbor is 50 miles
32. I am quiet until I know you, then I don't shut up
33. I am not a good dancer
34. I do not practice transcendental meditation
35. I suck at guitar hero
36. I would like to meet John Wayne and Jesus
37. I am argumentative
38. I thought I would be a lawyer when young cause I could talk my way out of anything
39. I told my wife the other day to take my hand we'll make it I swear because we were living on a prayer
40. I think I will make an 80s music 25-40 random things

Mary the Mother of God

Most converts from Protestant churches to the Catholic church will tell you that the most difficult teachings of the Church are those regarding Mary. Intellectually the arguments are not that difficult but to overcome years of conditioning is difficult to say the least. There was conference in Lubbock this weekend that dealt with the Biblical reasons for the Church's teachings on Mary. It helped me to have a deeper appreciation for Biblicity of the Church's actual teachings on Mary. Many of you had the opportunity to go and hear some of their recommended readings. I would like to suggest a few as well. First is "Catholic for a Reason II, Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God." Ed. Hahn and Suprenant. Second, "Hail Holy Queen," Hahn. I am sure there are other great books. Of course you know my two favs on most matters are Armstrong "Biblical Defense of Catholicism" and Romero's "Unabridged Christianity."

I would like to take a couple of minutes and address two things. 1. Why the uneasiness surrounding the Church's teachings on Mary. 2. A brief look at the Biblical background for those teachings. For those of you in my class this is a brief description of what we are studying.

1. Jennifer and I were working out at the gym a couple of weeks ago. They have four thousand tvs at the gym that play everything from Oprah to Fox News. One of the stations was a rap a channel. There was a guy singing about his great love for his, well, woman. Showing a great deal of disregard for women and decency at the same time. On his jacket were two pictures. On the left a Rosary on the right La Virgen de Guadalupe. (Mary as she revealed herself to Juan Diego, more about it later.) I got mad at seeing it but wasn't surprised. Mary in many parts of the world has become more of a cultural icon than a guide to holiness. This is one of the reasons there is such uneasiness about Mary...she is seldom understood by the vast majority of people who claim to be Catholic and this representation carries over into the world. When a protestant asks a Catholic about their worship of Mary rather than saying we don't worship her they don't know for the above reasons. I thought for the longest time that Catholics worshipped Mary to the neglect of Jesus. I was right and wrong. Many fallen away and other mildly committed Catholics plaster their walls with pictures of Mary and neglect the One she wishes we would go to. I was wrong because the Church is clear about the fact that Catholics are not supposed to worship Mary. She is our guide, she is the mother of God, she is our mother but she is not God. So when I as a protestant I felt weird about being around people who seemed to worship her to the neglect of Christ. As well I had been taught many things that the Catholic church supposedly taught about Mary. Most were not true. I viewed her as a great follower who had been given a wonderful responsibility of bearing Christ. After Jesus though I believed her work was done and she lived faithful to God at best. I never looked at her from a Biblical lens and knew few people who had. So, the cultural misrepresentations, the weak Catholics and the false preconditioning left me wanting to run from any idea of honoring Mary. When I converted I could make a Biblical argument but my heart was still tense about the matter. I assumed this will take a while to overcome. However it is important to understand that what the Catholic church teaches about Mary is Biblical. Someone who speaks as an authority about what the Catholic church teaches, from outside the church, usually does so based on the information provided by marginally informed Catholics. I would encourage both Protestant and Catholic Christians to read what the Church teaches on Mary. Catechism of the Catholic Church 963 and following.

2. Is there any Biblical evidence for what the Church teaches about Mary?

I have already written too much so I will list some verses below with a brief description of why. Read them in their greater Biblical context. As well ask questions if you want, I am not saying I have the answers but you can ask.

Revelation 11:19= John sees the Ark of the Covenant. Revelation 12 the Ark, it is Mary.

Parallels between 2Sam 6 and Luke 1

-Arose and went to Judah

-Blessed

-Mother/Ark come to me

-Leaping

-Three months

(You have to read the text for that to make sense, but look for those key words when you do.)

The brothers of Jesus are from another Mary, according to the New Testament

-Matthew 13:55

-Matt 27:55-56; 27:61; 28:1

-John 19:25

She is identified as Mary the mother of the others then John tells us she is the other Mary.

Ok that is a good start and I am running out of time. I don't get to hang out on the computer all the time.