Suspiciously Specific Sermon: Difference between revisions

The power of religion is generally appreciated by those who are willing to go to religious services. As well it should be, as many religious texts were written or spoken to be appropriate to the people of the time, and often the same problems faced by them are faced by people today. Considering the number of people attending a service, it's more likely than not that ''one'' of them will find something useful in the sermon, the part specifically written and spoken to be applicable to current times.

 

 

Compare [[Coincidental Broadcast]], where a TV broadcast just happens to be related to the plot. Could be a literal form of [[Deus Ex Machina]].

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* Parodied in ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]''; after a night of telling off everyone in the shithole of a town he preached in, Reverend Jesse Custer had to face them the next morning at Mass. Cut to the present day, when he's telling the story:

'''Jesse:''' Forgiveness. }}

 

== [[Film]] ==

** It was the failure of this to work before the story begins that caused Bethany to realize she was straying from religion.

** Not part of the ''sermon'', but the mass we see Bethany attend early on includes a mention of the church's support of John Doe Jersey, which becomes [[Chekhov's Gun|important later on]].

* Two of these in ''[[Footloose]]'', one early on establishing the town elders' opposition to rock 'n' roll, and the change of heart one near the end of the film.

* ''[[The Witches of Eastwick]]''. As Daryl van Horn is being blown toward the church by a gale-force wind, the sermon being spoken inside is as follows:

* In ''[[Faster]]'', Driver is listening to a radio pastor preach about forgiveness and letting go of vengeance as he drives around murdering the people who have wronged him. Then he goes up to the last guy on his list, and lo and behold, {{spoiler|it turns out that it's the pastor, who knew that Driver escaped from the news reports, and has been preaching directly towards him in hopes that he might change his ways. He does. Sort of.}}

* ''The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain'' features a sermon that encourages the towns folk to continue building the mound that transforms the hill into a mountain on a Sunday. (This is very deliberate, though he is encouraged to do it by what page of his bible opens at.

== [[Literature]] ==

* In ''[[The Help]]'', a sermon saying that bravery is often just having the courage to do what's right inspires Aibileen to help Skeeter with her book.

 

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* ''[[The West Wing]]'' - Toby's at temple on Friday evening, listening to his Rabbi say "Vengeance is not Jewish". He gets a phone call from Sam, who asks "By any chance, is your Rabbi giving a sermon on the death penalty?" Toby listens to another sonorous phrase demonizing the death penalty. "... yes?" This is not an accident.

 

== [[Theater]] ==

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

[[Category:Plot Device]]

[[Category:Religion Tropes]]

[[Category:Flashbacks and Chronology]]

[[Category:Suspiciously Convenient Index]]

[[Category:Suspiciously Specific Sermon]]