Reflection - Dolly Would - Sunday, September 20, 2026
Sermon Dolly Would Traci Hubbard
September 20th, 2026
Two thoughts as I drove to church today:
If humans evolved from monkeys, did the monkeys who just stayed monkeys watch the humans and decide they were not interested in the evolutionary update?
Is it just me or do you also think the seashore was the worst place for Suzie to sell seashells?
How many of us remember when people asked, “What would Jesus do?” It’s a good question. Today I want to ask a different question, “What would Dolly Parton do?” Now, before anybody gets nervous, I'm not suggesting that Dolly Parton be knighted a saint. I don’t believe in that. But if eternity has a choir director, I have a feeling she'd have a few rhinestones on her robe.
I believe Dolly gives us a beautiful picture of something the Bible talks about, “What do we do with what the Spirit has given us?” What do we do with our money, our influence, our gifts, our stories? What do we do when we have more than we need? Underneath all of this is another question, “How do we become people who make the goodness of Infinite LOVE visible? Because that is where Colossians takes us. Paul says of Jesus, “He is the image of the invisible God.”
Think about that. Jesus makes the invisible Divine visible. In Jesus, we see the Divine’s compassion, forgiveness. We see Jesus stopping for the person everybody else walked past. We see him feeding hungry people and touching people no one else wanted to touch. We see him laughing, playing with children, and sneaking away for intimate connection with God. We see what the Holy is like because we see who Jesus was, what Jesus did, and how he did it.
The question for us as we decide how we are going to move forward is, “Can people see Infinite LOVE because of who we are and what we do?” Not because our Thrift Store, or services or ministries are perfect, or impressive, but somehow, through our human deficiencies and egos, the LIGHT of Christ shines through our human cracks.
Micah reminds us, “God has told you what is good, to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” That's it. It’s not complicated.
Proverbs give us a manual on how ministers and lay leaders should lead. The author writes, “A friend loves at all times.” Not just when it's convenient or when somebody agrees with you or can do something for you. When we place the Micah and Proverbs verses together, we get a beautiful picture of how to embody Jesus. See what is right and do it. And if you mess up and learn better, then be better. Love people generously. Stay humble. And show up. This is where Dolly Parton becomes an interesting example.
Dolly grew up in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in a large, poor family. She often talked about her father, Robert Lee Parton, who was hardworking and intelligent but never learned to read or write. That stayed with her. So, when Dolly had the resources to do something about childhood literacy, she didn't simply say, “Somebody ought to do something about that.” She did something. In 1995, she created the Imagination Library. The idea was wonderfully simple, give children free books and mail them directly to their homes.
By June 2026, the Imagination Library reported having gifted more than 325 million books, with more than 3.5 million books going out each month. Dolly made Infinite LOVE visible. She used her platform and resources into opportunity for children. She had a story and turned it into hope for somebody else. She turned her success into generosity.
And here's something I love about Dolly, her humility. She never seemed particularly interested in pretending she was born with everything figured out. She's laughed at herself, her hair, her clothes, her Botox, her voice, her personality. She said, “If I hadn’t been born a girl, I would have been a Drag Queen.” She embraced the Gay Community and encouraged them.
Dolly’s humor carried a deep wisdom. She said, “We don't have to take ourselves so seriously to take our calling seriously.” Humor and joy are not the opposite of holiness. They are evidence that we know whose we are, we know who we are, and we enjoy offering our gifts to others. Dolly could walk into a room covered in rhinestones and still make the room feel warmer and this is a lesson for the church. There ought to be some laughter among people gathering in faith communities. There ought to be joy and generosity so vibrant that our energy causes people in Lake Country to become curious and say, “I don't know exactly what they believe, but I want to know, because when I'm in trouble, they show up.” A friend loves at all times.
In 2016, wildfires devastated communities in Sevier County, Tennessee. This wasn't an abstract issue for Dolly, it was home. People lost everything. And Dolly's response was not simply to send a message saying, “My thoughts are with you.” Her foundation established the My People Fund. More than 900 families received $1,000 a month for five months, followed by a final $5,000 payment. The total direct recovery assistance reached $13 million, supported by donations from around the world. And I love the name, “My People” not “those people.” Or “Those unfortunate people.” Or “Those people who made bad decisions.”
My people. That is Jesus’ language. We need to make sure that people who are hurting, struggling, marginalized, lonely, become our people. If someone needs a bible or a child needs a book, they are our people. When a senior inside or outside our walls needs a ride, when a family in our congregation is living with food scarcity, or a newcomer courageously walks through our door not knowing a single soul, they are our people. Because that's what love does. Love expands the definition of “us.”
Folks, I'm not suggesting that Dolly is our theological teacher, but her life is an illustration of unconditional love. She could have been a billionaire and hung onto her resources. Dolly was richer in her soul than most of us will ever be, and her life presents each one of us with a beautiful question, “Since I have been blessed, or been lucky, what am I going to do with it all?”
Our question for ourselves and for our community of faith isn’t, “How much do I have? Do we have?” Our question is, “What has Divine LOVE placed in our hearts and hands?” You might have money, or little money. Maybe you have time and a listening ear. Maybe you can cook or fix things, teach, or write, or even make people laugh. Perhaps you know how to organize people or use your influence to build up instead of tear down. Whatever is in your hands—my hands, what are we going to do with it? Are we going to do justice? Love at all times? Build up or push against what we cannot change which is change itself?
Dolly's life gives us an everyday illustration, “When we have something good to say or give, share it. And folks, don’t forget that laughter is spiritually and physically healing. May we never allow generosity of time, talent, or treasure, to turn us into a self-important person. Jesus and Dolly were humble. And folks, the divine is also humble by coming to you, to me, to the world, and offering unconditional love and forgiveness when we do not deserve it.
Jesus and Dolly remind us not to let anyone dim our light or make us feel like we are doing something wrong when we are offering our gifts. I mean she told Elvis, “NO” when he wanted to purchase 50% of the copyright and record her song, “I Will Always Love You.” I am grateful for the times Infinite LOVE has said “No” to me…I can’t imagine who or where I would be today. As Mother Teresa said, “Build the church, some will tear it down anyway. Love them and offer all of your gifts and they will misunderstand you saying you have self centered motives. Some will judge you, talk about you, and some will crucify you. That’s the deal when accepting a call to ministry or accepting the call to be like Jesus. And a lot of people talked about Dolly, made fun of her, put her down. She sang anyway.
Folks, if we are going to walk with the Spirit, we might as well enjoy the scenery, choose joy, and laugh along the way. The work of the Spirit is not a competition to see who can look the most serious or keep old ways alive that are shutting down churches and threatening to completely shut down the United Church of Canada by 2035.
The church is called to become a living witness to the character of Jesus, and this is paramount if we want to grow spiritually and make a difference in Lake Country. Jesus and Dolly gave themselves away. So, what Would Dolly Do? Her legacy shows she lived the ways of Jesus. May we leave this place today asking ourselves, “Do I Love kindness? Do I walk humbly? And do I love at all times? Do I have to like everything or agree with everything in order to fan the flame of hope and love in our church? Would you, would I, have judged the ways Jesus and Dolly presented and missed the opportunity to get to know their hearts? Good question, because both have been labeled freaks and the way they expressed love upset the status quo.
Like Dolly and Jesus, we have to begin with what we’ve got and there are a few hard realities the church must face in order to survive…and folks, I don’t just want to survive in my own life, I want to thrive, and the Spirit desires this for everyone and for our congregation. So, how much love can we become and give away? Time will tell if we actually take these questions and examples of how to embody love home and chew on them this week. May we be humble in our courage to do what Dolly and Jesus would do. May we become inclusive love even when we are misunderstood…even when we are crucified…Galatians 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the ways of Christ.” As Dolly said, “We need “To find out who we are (and who the church needs to be in 2026 and beyond) and do it on purpose.”
May it be so, amen.
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