Today is Sunday and as you many know Buttercup, I thought we should pull up a chair, and I would share something about me you may or may not know. There are some movies I can watch over and over and over again.

For me personally two of the movies I enjoy watching is Joyful Noise and The Preacher’s Wife. Especially on a Sunday morning when everyone else is asleep and David is at work because the house is quit and no, one is asking me questions.

For me there is something about a movie that brings music, faith, family, dreams and a little bit of life all together that makes me want to stop what I’m doing and watch it again. And when Dolly Parton is in the middle of it? Well, you already know I’m watching.

For me Joyful Noise is more than a movie about music and a movie starring two legendary women. Before I share why I wanted to share a little bit of information about the movie with you.

Joyful Noise came out in 2012 and stars Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, Keke Palmer and Jeremy Jordan. With a cast like that who wouldn’t want to sit down and watch this movie?

The story centers around a small-town church choir trying to make it to a national gospel choir competition while dealing with disagreements, family struggles, changing musical styles and the question of what happens when your dreams don’t seem to be working out.

And that’s exactly why I think there is something in this movie for so many different ages.

Now, I want to put a little disclaimer right here.

The movie is rated PG-13, and there are some adult themes and language. So I’m not telling every parent to put the movie on for the littlest child without watching it first. Know your child. Watch it together. Talk about the parts that need explaining.

But don’t automatically look at Joyful Noise and think it’s just an adult movie. Because there are lessons in it. Big ones. Both little kids and adults will learn from as long as they keep a open mind.

One of the things I love about Joyful Noise is the idea that you don’t give up just because things aren’t going the way you expected. Sometimes your dream changes. Sometimes somebody tells you that your idea isn’t going to work.

Sometimes you don’t have enough money. Sometimes you don’t have enough people. Sometimes the person standing beside you is driving you absolutely crazy. Which is my family more times than not. And sometimes you have to figure out how to work together anyway. Sound like real life? I think so.

Children can learn that. Teenagers can learn that. Adults can certainly learn that. You can dream about becoming a singer. You can dream about becoming a teacher. You can dream about starting a business. You can dream about writing a book.

You can dream about going to college. You can dream about creating something nobody has ever created before. And somebody may tell you that you can’t do it. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right. Sometimes you just have to keep going no, matter what anyone tells you.

And you can’t forget about Gospel Music this is where Joyful Noise really fits into our Sunday conversation. Gospel music isn’t just music. For so many people, gospel music is connected to church, family, memories and faith. It’s something you hear and suddenly you’re back in another place.

Maybe you’re sitting beside your grandmother. Maybe you’re in church. Maybe you’re riding in the car with your parents. Maybe somebody is singing while they’re cooking Sunday dinner. Maybe you don’t even remember exactly where you heard the song.

You just know it makes you feel something. That’s the power of music. And Dolly understands that. She has spent her entire career telling stories through songs. Some make us laugh and some make us cry. Some make us dance and some make us think. And some make us look upward.

Dolly Parton’s performance as G.G. Sparrow is one of the reasons I can watch this movie again and again. She brings her humor. She brings her personality and she brings her music. And she brings that Dolly spark that somehow makes you feel like you’ve known her forever. But there is something else I see when I watch her.

I see somebody who understands what it means to believe in something. Even when people disagree. Even when things get hard. Even when you have to change. And maybe that’s one of the reasons Dolly’s performance works so well in this story. She isn’t just playing somebody who loves music. She’s playing somebody who understands that music can be part of who you are.

Now here’s where I would really slow the movie down if I were using it as part of a Sunday family activity. Ask your children: What does your faith sound like? That’s a pretty big question.

Maybe it sounds like a church choir. Maybe it sounds like your favorite hymn. Maybe it sounds like someone praying. Maybe it sounds like your grandmother singing. Maybe it sounds like silence when you’re sitting outside talking to God. Maybe it sounds like a song you listen to when you’re having a bad day.

There isn’t necessarily one answer. But asking the question gets children thinking about faith as something they experience—not just something written in a book.

There’s another lesson here that I think is important. You don’t always have to be the best. Sometimes you just have to give your best. That’s different. You may not have the strongest voice. You may not be the fastest runner.

You may not be the best artist. You may not get the highest grade. You may not win the competition. But you can still show up. You can still work hard. You can still encourage somebody else. You can still use the gifts God gave you. And sometimes the biggest victory isn’t winning. Sometimes it’s refusing to quit.

Now if I were sitting down with my family to watch Joyful Noise, I wouldn’t just turn the television on and call it a day. I’d make an event out of it. We’d watch the movie together. Then we’d talk about it.

Who was your favorite character? What did you think about the music? What did you think about the choir? What would you have done differently? Did anyone give up? Did anyone change?

What happened when people stopped working together? What happened when they finally listened to one another? And most importantly: What did you learn about not giving up on your dreams? Then turn the television off. And make some joyful noise of your own.

Gather your family and put on your own Gospel Concet. You don’t need a stage. You don’t need fancy costumes. You don’t need a professional sound system. You need a little imagination.

Choose a few songs. Have the children pick their favorites. Let someone introduce each song. Someone else can be the choir director. Someone can make tickets. Someone can design a concert poster. Someone can make a pretend program. And then? Put on your own concert. Sing. Dance. Clap. Laugh. Make some noise. Because sometimes faith is supposed to be joyful.

Dolly Gives Us Something to Talk About That’s what I love about using movies and music as part of our Sunday posts. We’re not just watching something. We’re talking. We’re remembering. We’re learning. We’re sharing.

Dolly Parton’s career gives us so many doors to walk through. We can talk about gospel music or we can talk about songwriting. We can talk about faith or we can talk about dreams. We can talk about family and we can talk about forgiveness and we can talk about perseverance. And we can talk about what it means to use the gifts God gave us. That’s a pretty good Sunday lesson to me.

So yes. Joyful Noise belongs in our Sunday posts and not because I think every family is going to agree with every part of the movie. Not because it’s a perfect movie. And not because every scene is appropriate for every age.

It belongs because there is something worth talking about and it belongs because gospel music matters. It belongs because faith matters and it belongs because dreams matter. It belongs because families need to learn how to work through disagreements. And it belongs because sometimes we all need somebody to remind us:

Don’t give up. Keep singing. Keep dreaming. Keep believing. Keep using the gifts God gave you. And when life gets loud? Make some joyful noise. Because God comes first. And that’s exactly where I want Him in my life.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates