Contemplations - Ekstasis Magazine

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ever since reading the very first issue copy that Ekstasis released. I was stunned how God speaks even through poetry and art. Reading every single piece, even fueled my own imagination and ideas. It felt like this community was a way o

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

I came upon Ekstasis on the recommendation of the poet D. S. Martin, and was taken by the magazine’s clear attention to beauty in language and image. The work that Ekstasis does has been valuable precisely because of that commitment to

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

When I first discovered Ekstasis I felt a sense of homecoming, I felt seen and connected in a place that is often quite lonely and solitary. I proclaimed loudly to my friends that there exists a magazine that endlessly beautifully marri

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

When I consider what it means to be made in the image of God, I come back to one of the most ubiquitous metaphors used for God: that of a Father and His children. Instinctively, a child observes and imitates the ways of the father. As w

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

For me Ekstasis has challenged me to look and be inspired by everything and everyone around me, there is always something to learn and also it has given me a sense of creating with a bigger purpose, imagination is one of the biggest thi

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

God is creative. It’s the first revealed aspect of His nature alongside His omnipotence. Genesis 1:1 - “In the beginning, God created...” He didn’t look up ‘human’ or ‘universe’ in an encyclopedia before He spoke and created the beauti

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis is like beautiful imagery, using writing and photography to depict a beautiful, powerful and enlightening story. This story is beautifully crafted, simplistic and humbling, allowing readers to delve deeper into His presence. It

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Working in a startup and studying engineering is not an easy task. It has caused me a lot of stress and anxiety, especially for my future. So much worry was affecting my ability to enjoy God's gifts, specifically art. That was until one

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis shut down the critical voice in my head that kept saying Christian creativity is stunted. Their effort at trying to create a community isn't some sort of marketing stunt: they truly elevate their followers to the status of fel

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

There is a delicate balance between simplicity and beauty that I find so attractive about the work Ekstasis does. It catches my eye and draws me in with its striking images, probing questions, and thoughtful writing. I find myself retur

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

For me, reviving the Christian imagination mean to reflect the person of a creative God in what we do as art. Coming from a non-christian country, Ekstasis gather this community of artists with the same heart and it blesses me immensely

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Reviving the Christian imagination to me, is part of God fully restoring his creation. Yahweh is imaginative in the truest sense, and being made in His image includes his imagination. This is why creative art has the ability to rouse up

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Every time I sit my workstation I take a sweet time to read some words in Ekstasis. It gives me joy to see a platform where Christian imagination is being revived as it celebrates the beauty made by the one true Creator. As an artist, E

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Works of the imagination reveal what we truly believe, for here our values are embodied, here they come alive. Art forms like fiction can be a more vivid and powerful way to express our beliefs than "I think" statements, and where we ca

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

I guess you can say Ekstasis has brought a group of like-minded creative's together, and sharing our own thoughts, perspective, journey, etc with each other. And this collaborative space has allowed us to challenge our ideas and thought

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

I believe that the Christian imagination is the key to helping us see and love our neighbor. When we engage with the parts of our lives, like Ekstasis, that bring the true and the beautiful into our awareness, we are able to be formed i

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 14, 2021

Each generation is plagued with thoughts of doubt, with moments of anxiety, with an ache for something beyond themselves. Ekstasis brings good news to this generation with fresh words. Fresh words not often used yet soothing to the soul

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

Reviving the Christian imagination starts with remembering our own smallness in comparison to the vast and infinite beauty and mystery of God. It requires engaging all of our senses. The Ekstasis community consistently lifts my head, po

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

In the midst of a trying year (Add to being a middle school teacher in a global pandemic a house fire, then barely moved back in receiving the news your 17-year marriage might be over) Ekstasis has provided calm, art worthy of praise an

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

So much of my anxiety in being a Christian artist is wrapped up in the supposed choice between two extremes: compromise the weight of what I wish to write to appeal to a faith-based audience, or water down my faith to make my words more

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 13, 2021

Reviving the Christian imagination... I think Protestants have really forgotten the importance of divine revelation through creation. God reveals himself so heavily through nature, in all its beauty and majesty. In art and creativity, w

Ekstasis MagazineJune 11, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 11, 2021

“The Christian imagination” – an incongruous phrase in the evangelical church where I grew up. Thankfully, my mother balanced that out and provided a wealth of stories, art, and music that developed my heart and mind to see the world th

Ekstasis MagazineJune 10, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 10, 2021

My second child was born on January 6, and when she was born both of my grandfather's were living. Before she turned two months old, they had both died. In my grief, I remembered the poem "Prayer : Ripples" by Jennifer Wallace that I ha

Ekstasis MagazineJune 10, 2021

Ekstasis MagazineJune 10, 2021

“Reviving the Christian Imagination” is about how we as artists & creatives see and experience God in art. How God plays a part in our artistic journey. How God is our source of inspiration, be it in our artistic journey or in life.