Participation in Religious Group Rituals

[SalixIncendium]

I'd like to share a couple of observations regarding participation in religious group ritual and ask a few questions about them:

First, I've been to different rituals of various religions (church services, pujas, circles, etc.) and while there to observe, at least during my first visit, at times, I felt obligated to participate in some form or another. Has anyone else done this and felt the same obligation? If so, how did you react?

Second, in observing others during these rituals, I see varying degrees of participation, especially during moments of prayer or singing (I've seen more lip-syncing in church than on TV). There are those that are all-in with participation, and those that seem to kind of hang back and play along. Assuming you attend religious group rituals, which group do you belong to? Why?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I'd like to share a couple of observations regarding participation in religious group ritual and ask a few questions about them:

First, I've been to different rituals of various religions (church services, pujas, circles, etc.) and while there to observe, at least during my first visit, at times, I felt obligated to participate in some form or another. Has anyone else done this and felt the same obligation? If so, how did you react?

Second, in observing others during these rituals, I see varying degrees of participation, especially during moments of prayer or singing (I've seen more lip-syncing in church than on TV). There are those that are all-in with participation, and those that seem to kind of hang back and play along. Assuming you attend religious group rituals, which group do you belong to? Why?

Hmm.

I went to Catholic Mass, protestant (Baptist, Pentecostal which are different), Buddhist temple worship, which some call puja, and a Hindu puja for a celebrate goddess holy day.

I was a full participant in Mass and Zen group rituals. Protestant, I like the music. Hindu, I didnt get the full rituals because of language barriers, and SGI full though after awhile of learning about it, it felt less than a worship and more so a group of friends sitting around chanting.

I go to (rather) Kadampa Tabetin linage and go to some worship pujas at the zen temple I took my precepts. Mainly, the former because its cheaper to attend and everyone speaks english. I love the latter. Beyond language barriers, I feel at home. They contact me, when the Abè is in this area, somes we talk. If I spoke vietnamese I would have also have studied and practiced with a teacher.

As for levels of parcipation, I notice Mass, Zen, and Nichiren (SGI and Shoshu) buddhist are more paricipating. Kadampa, mostly curiousity but not serious devotion. Everyone is genuine regardless their spiritual levels. Everyone grows in their said faith when they have patience and motivation to practice even if they dont get it all. Its not a class with a test.

 

[sun rise]

I felt obligated to participate in some form or another. Has anyone else done this and felt the same obligation? If so, how did you react?

I felt obliged to not stand out so I tried to act in a way that would not call attention to myself.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I felt obliged to not stand out so I tried to act in a way that would not call attention to myself.

Exactly! Couldn't gave described it better myself.

 

[Quintessence]

I don't know if I'd say I feel obliged to participate. The last time I went to a conventional religious service, something very strange happened. First, some background context.

By "conventional religious service" I mean what most people envision when they think about religious services. There's a facilitator (usually a priest) and an audience. The facilitators do most of the work - they deliver the lecture, set the pacing of the service, conduct the rituals. The audience is expected to sit there attentively and listen, though they may engage in some singing a few times.

Now contrast this to what a service looks like in my religion. There's a facilitator and no audience. I'm the facilitator, so I'm doing all the work. I'm chanting all the invocations, doing all the ritual movements, and everything. There's no sitting there quietly and listening, you're actively involved in the entire process. It's very engaging because it has to be; the full responsibility of the ritual and what comes out of it is entirely on me.

I've gotten used to conducting my own services... my own rituals. I've gotten used to being very actively involved in every part of the process. When I went to a conventional service after a year of doing active ritual working, I was... well... I found it very unsatisfying. I participated in the manner I was supposed to, sure, but it was just very unsatisfying. It felt less like religion and more like going to a lecture. But being lectured at is what religious services look like to many in my country. That this is now such a weird concept to me was a very strange realization.