Theotokos: Has the Protestant Church Forgotten the Mother of God?

Theotokos is a Greek term loosely translated as "Mother of God."  It is used regularly in the Orthodox church to refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  At the Greek Orthodox church I visited this week, Mary is prominently portrayed in several icons, always with this designation.  Other spiritual giants are there too, as well as several icons of Christ.

In the Catholic Church, Mary is revered as both a virgin and as Christ's mother.  In both churches, during nearly every service, her name is mentioned several times.

Yet in the Protestant Church, Mary is rarely mentioned, aside from Christmas time or when she features in the gospel reading that is set for the day.

In our quest to prevent the "worship" of Mary, has the Protestant church gone too far in setting Mary aside?  Have we missed out on a woman whose faith was great enough to cause God to bless her with the mission of giving birth to God Incarnate?  Is it a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water?

From scripture, we see Mary as a woman with incredible faith, defying social norms at a great cost to herself.  We see a mother who cares deeply for her son.  A woman who remains faithful to her son, even to his death.  Mary stays with the church after the resurrection and continues on with her faith through the early days of the church.  She does not seek privilege, power or honor, instead seeking peace and understanding, remaining faithful.

The tension is how to revere Mary's contribution and faithfulness without placing her above her son.  Do we seek to honor those saints of the past that trod the faith path before us?  Or do we leave that to private devotion?  Or should we continue on, ignoring the contributions of those who lived before us?