Reference no: EM131133232

Religious Ceremony Observance

Your task in this assignment is to observe a religious ceremony (any ritual, festival, or worship) and write a reflective paper about that experience.

You may observe a ceremony of a different denomination or sect of your religion as long as the ceremony is different in some way from what you are used to. For instance, if you are Roman Catholic, you can observe a Pentecostal worship service, as the liturgy is vastly different.

This assignment is about observation, not participation. You may observe a ceremony in video form, if necessary, but it is better to witness the ceremony first hand so that you may use all of your senses to describe the event.

Reflective Writing

Reflective writing is very similar to journal writing, but there is less focus on you as the writer, and more focus on the event and an academic reflection of that event. You are more likely to use readings from the course or other outside sources to support your analysis of the event.

Reflective writing consists of two main parts: a description and a reflection. The writer must first describe the event or situation that is the topic of the writing. The description should be objective-facts and detailed observations. Then the writer reflects on the experience with personal feelings and opinions, followed by an analysis of those feelings.

What is the point of reflective writing in an academic setting? Reflective writing helps you examine why you think the way you do and thereby provides a learning experience. By careful analysis of the facts of an event or situation, and then the same careful analysis of your own preconceived ideas and whether they are strengthened or changed by the experience, you will be able to gather and observe practical and personal evidence to support or challenge what might be an abstract idea in your profession or in the area of academics being studied.

This is one of the few times in academic writing when it is appropriate to write in the first person.