Complete 'Theodicy' with middle stanzas

 Dear Pastor:

Yes, I've 'patterned another tune. It's not Hebrew Cadence, asI did with Psalm 117.

Reminds me of a Ted Williams story. Williams was the hardest man to get out in Major League history, walking in 1 of 7 plate appearances, and having a lifetime batting average of .342.  When Lou Boudreau invented the Williams shift, 3 infielders between 1st and 2nd, etc. , they told Ted he could hit .600 if he just dumped balls into left field. He refused, saying, 'But then I'd lose my stroke'

Similarly, I get odd ieeas every so often, unique one, and maybe one or two are worthwhile.

This theodicy tune starts with the last 3 notes high, first stanza, hopingtoward heaven.

The next stanzas may be in the for of praying for a coming down.

The last stanza then returns to goinbg up.

This is not conventional, but our rhyming unity hymns are not acrostics or users of Hebrew Cadence either.

Here goes:

Test the Tune of Theodicy The Twelve

A friend sent music as therapy when I needed it. Many need to understand how a good, omnipotent God can allow evil—theodicy. Maybe this tune will help, when good musicians improve it.

1—The Twelve (12 minor prophets) is said to be theodicy.

2—But these books are not in chronological order.

3—‘New Bible Commentary’ p. 628 has a list of when the prophetswrote.

4—Let’s take the 12 and put them on a piano octave of 12keys, 7 white and 5 black.

The tune would go like this:

Hosea, 4^th key This book was written 4^th, chronologically)

Joel,  1^st

Amos, 2

Obadiah, 9

Jonah, 3

Micah, 5

Nahum,7

Habakkuk, 8

Zephaniah, 6

Haggai, 10

Zechariah, 11

Malachi, 12

5—So to play the tune, it’s 41293578610,11,12

6—If one doesn’t want to play notes of the same length, one might decide that shorter books would have  shorter notes.

7—Or, one could do something with the lengths of time between books.

8—This might be good music therapy for those with questions about theodicy—how can an omnipotent, good God allow evil/calamity? Test these out, ye musically talented.

 

41293578610,11,12

9,           12,           11,           4           , 10          , 8          , 6            , 5           , 3          , 2          , 1         

God           Trinity      Lovingly  drags      us           into      his           future      changing  us and

9As       12we       11are      4torn  10between        8past    6and    5future   3in   2and  1out

9Our     12howls      11become      10music    8and    6we    5the    3singing  2,1song

9The   12hero  11is  10one 8between  6times 5first 3sufferer 2,1protagonist

9  helping 12explicitly 10reconcile 8Opposites 6in 5necessary 3,2,1exigencies

Hosea, 4th key This book was written 4th, chronologically)

Joel,  1st

Amos, 2

Obadiah, 9

Jonah, 3

Micah, 5

Nahum,7

Habakkuk, 8

Zephaniah, 6

Haggai, 10

Zechariah, 11

Malachi, 12