Etheldreda.net
Prescriptions from God’s word
Etheldreda.net is so named because it comes from someone who appreciates various aspects of the monastic tradition, but who otherwise could be described as evangelical and reformed (a position arrived at from first principles – finding those labels most closely reflect what we encounter in the New Testament). The author of this website has found a particular affinity with the puritans and their successors; however, perhaps unusually given that fact, I also have this interest in the best practices from the monastic tradition, hence naming the site after St Etheldreda.
So, before we come to some details about St Etheldreda, her exemplary life goals, and more about why this website was named after her, it’s important to approach this subject from the right perspective.
First it must be said that a Christian is someone who follows our Lord Jesus Christ. As the writer to the Hebrews emphasized, we’re ‘looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith’(Hebrews 12:2), and as the apostle Peter preached, ‘“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”’(Acts 4:12) (see the ‘Christian?’ links).
However, the apostles also taught that it can be helpful to follow their own Christ-like example. The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, ‘The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things’(Philippians 4:9). Beyond that, he encouraged the Philippians to learn from believers who were already following his example: ‘Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example’(Philippians 3:17). So following the example of other Christians is certainly a good Biblical principle.
We must be careful though, since our fellow disciples aren’t perfect. We need to make sure that we’re admiring and modelling the life of Christ in each other, not copying our fellow Christians’ mistakes and unhelpful practices. That said, the author of this website believes there are some helpful, exemplary, Christ-like things that we can observe in the lives of our ancient monastic brothers and sisters in Christ, and the story of Etheldreda is particularly interesting in that regard.
She was born in the 7th century, in Exning, which is now a small village several miles south of Ely, in the UK. When she was a child her father became the king of East Anglia, which back then was an independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom, now part of England. Rather than indulge herself in a royal life of relative luxury, the young Etheldreda grew to long for a humble life of simplicity/self-denial, singleness/abstinence, spiritual disciplines and Christian service. Against all social pressures to the contrary, including two nominal forced political marriages, she eventually achieved her goal, founding a monastery deep in the East Anglian fens at Ely, which went on to become present day Ely Cathedral.
The author of this website has some historical/geographical connections to the medieval priors of Ely, and has gained comfort, inspiration and encouragement from the life and example of St Etheldreda, so her name seemed particularly fitting for this website.
The foursquare Christ-like example of St Etheldreda that the author of this website admires, wants to highlight for reflection and consideration, and by the grace of God follow in the 21st century, is the way that she pursued a life of:-
Simplicity/self-denial: a healthy disinterest in the trappings of this world – ‘“My Kingdom is not of this world”’(John 18:36) – ‘taking the form of a servant… He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death… the cross’(Philippians 2:7-8).
Singleness/abstinence*: focused entirely on the Lord’s work – ‘The unmarried woman [or man – see verse 32] cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy [i.e. set-apart]’(1 Corinthians 7:34) – ‘“for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake”’(Matthew 19:12).
Spiritual disciplines: earnestly seeking after God, thus finding true riches – ‘They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer’(Acts 2:42) – ‘He withdrew Himself into the desert, and prayed’(Luke 5:16).
Christian service: helping to establish and express Jesus’ truth, grace and love on earth – ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them’(Ephesians 2:10) – ‘it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for His good pleasure’(Philippians 2:13).
I can’t help thinking that had Etheldreda lived several hundred years earlier she would have been a great friend of the sold out, single minded servant of Christ who was the apostle Paul, and that had she lived several hundred years later she would have been very much at home with the conscientious passionate faith of the puritans. I count all of them as my friends, partners, examples and guides in the Christian life. I hope they approve of Etheldreda.net.
Why .net? Surely all Christian websites should be ‘.net’ – Matthew 4:18-20!
* This requires some clarification. God is not anti-sex. In fact He invented it as a good gift to be enjoyed as part of His creation, the family and children being associated blessings. However, the New Testament presents the gift of being single as a preferable state to marriage, because it frees the single person up from distractions to spiritual devotions and Christian service. Presumably this is at least partly why Jesus was single, and an important reason behind why the apostle Paul remained single. We will all be single in eternity anyway (Mark 12:24-25). Etheldreda.net believes this is a neglected teaching that the example of our ancient monastic brothers and sisters in Christ (and the teaching of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7) can helpfully draw our attention to.† Singleness is a condition to be encouraged and regarded as a blessing. However, singleness for the Christian necessarily involves abstinence, since sexual activity is to be confined to exclusive love-marriage relationships between a husband and wife.
† I would recommend studying the whole of 1 Corinthians 7 and Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19:1-12 to avoid any unintended take home messages from this page, but 1 Corinthians 7:1,8,32-35&39-40 and Matthew 19:12 in particular reward consideration.
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