Ship of Fools: What to do with old hymnbooks

Thread: What to do with old hymnbooks Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Panda (# 2951) on :

Our two churches have finally come together and bought the same hymnbook to be used in both. Now, what to do with the old ones?

We have about 100 A&M New Standard, and about 120 NEH, in fairly good condition; some excellent (really, too many green ones were bought and have sat at the back of the cupboard for years).

We're open to direct offers (for a very nominal donation), but failing that, are there suggestions for finding them a good home? Someone suggested a retreat house or religious community, or a church on a budget. Beyond an advert in the Church Times, how do we get the word out?

Posted by Panda (# 2951) on :

Consarn it, I really thought I was in Eccles. Could a kind host move this over for me, please? Thanks!

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

Our Diocese sends out a weekly email newsletter which often includes notices of things needed or things to be gotten rid of. Perhaps your diocese or deanery has something of that sort?

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

I always find the paschal fire a great way of getting rid of the tacky stuff I don't like; or, as in your case, the horrible hymnals that should never have been published. Hide it in amongst the sticks, candle ends and logs. They'll never see it, but even if they do it will be too late and you can always feign total ignorance.

Posted by mdijon (# 8520) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Panda:
Beyond an advert in the Church Times, how do we get the word out?

Perhaps you could get an ad on SoF?

Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :

One church I was in updated the hymnals, stacked the old ones at the exit and announced in the bulletin several weeks "take one." They gradually went.

I bought a used hymnal from Amazon.

That's two ways.

Or send a note up channel -- or to regional heads in other denominations if several use that hymnal. Must be poor churches (or in USA churches in disaster areas!) that would be glad to receive them.

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

We could do with a few more NEH. Attendance has gone up since we switched to it. Glad to give you 'Songs of Fellowship'(in excellent condition) in exchange.

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :

quote:
Originally posted by fletcher christian:
I always find the paschal fire a great way of getting rid of the tacky stuff I don't like; or, as in your case, the horrible hymnals that should never have been published. Hide it in amongst the sticks, candle ends and logs. They'll never see it, but even if they do it will be too late and you can always feign total ignorance.

Paper can be quite useful if you have a compost bin which is too slushy and needs some drier material to balance it, which should make for better compost to fertilise the garden at a later date. Hymn book pages are probably small enough and thin enough that all you would need to do is pull off the binding. Make sure you use a fork or shovel of some kind to mix it around once the paper is added if you're not using a Tumbleweed compost bin.

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

Just sneak into your nearest church which uses Hymns Old & New, and swap the entire stock over while no-one is looking. The recipients of your bounty will think that they have been miraculously delivered from the grip of Kevin Mayhew, they will be greatly edified by (i) the consequent sense of profound gratitude to God and (ii) having proper hymns to sing, and the site will become a place of pilgrimage thereby bringing in no doubt much-needed revenue. Meanwhile you will be able to burn the Hymns O&N with a good conscience.

[ 23. April 2012, 08:22: Message edited by: Albertus ]

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

Start a rumour that you are going to burn some Korans, and they have a bonfire with them?

Gets you lots of publicity.

Ebay is probably worth a try. Especially if the price is low.

Posted by Trudy Scrumptious (# 5647) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Panda:
Consarn it, I really thought I was in Eccles. Could a kind host move this over for me, please? Thanks!

As none of the kind hosts has yet appeared to do it, I will oblige.

Trudy Scrumptious, Unkind Purgatory Host

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

Do what the Lutherans do - cut them up and make them into paper angels for the Christmas tree

Posted by Padre Joshua (# 13100) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
Start a rumour that you are going to burn some Korans, and they have a bonfire with them?

Gets you lots of publicity.

Ebay is probably worth a try. Especially if the price is low.

I read this as "Koreans"... Of course that would probably gain even more publicity, though I'm not sure what the Korean people have done to deserve being burned at the stake.

Posted by Zach82 (# 3208) on :

Lay them to rest in the understairs cupboard. [Razz]

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

The reason the new book wasn't introduced sooner would have included "but it doesn't have '...'" (insert names of favourite hymns). Therefore you will need to keep hold of them so that those hymns can be sung.

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :

Your local jail or prison might like them for their chapel services.

Posted by Raptor Eye (# 16649) on :

Some local residential homes for elderly people might like them. People with dementia often remember how to sing, it's good therapy.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

Donate them to Creamtealand cafes and restaurants - every one I go in seems to have a load of wobbly tables.

Posted by Adrian1 (# 3994) on :

Here's the radical suggestion. Why not hang on to them for possible future use? A lot of churches use more than one hymnbook and it's wise to not be tied down to just one. NEH contains some good hymns but a great deal of rubbish too - in fact too much in my opinion. I liked - and still do like - the old standard edition Hymns A & M. One of the offputting things about NEH is that hymns which should be there aren't such as

The Easter hymn "O voice of the beloved"

"Put thou thy trust in God" (a good Wesley hymn)

"Pleasant are thy courts above"

And, of course, "Jersulam on High" - although the tune to that has survived in NEH to "Now is eternal life."

Posted by Alogon (# 5513) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Panda:
We're open to direct offers (for a very nominal donation)... Consarn it, I really thought I was in Eccles. Could a kind host move this over for me, please? Thanks!

You're offering nearly to give New English Hymnals away? No, this obviously belongs in heaven.
[Yipee]

If they're not snapped up in a week, please PM me and I would like to take several dozen off your hands, seriously. S. Clement's uses them. And my choir could use a set. They'd need to be shipped to the U.S., of course, if you're up to doing that. But I would prepay your expenses and add another pound or so per copy, if you think that is fair.

Burning books? No, they are semi-sacred objects. Even a right-minded secularist appreciates this.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

I don't think I'd ever burn a hymn book. However, one day I'm going to have to decide what to do with a job lot of very dodgy Christian psychology/self-help books which I fear a well-meaning but rather deluded relative is likely to bequeath me. I wouldn't wish them on any church library - perhaps the local recycling centre would appreciate the paper?

Posted by Strangely Warmed (# 13188) on :

I agree that burning feels not quite right, but it is one way in which Christians have traditionally disposed of sacred or semi-sacred objects which have worn out or otherwise passed their "sell-by" date--last year's oils, or very old vestments or altar-cloths, for instance.

I once had a conversation with a priest who suggested that there should be some way, for example, for us to dispose reverently of all the old Bibles, prayer books and devotional manuals which inevitably end up in our libraries. A holy bonfire, conducted perhaps on consecrated ground, might not be a bad idea.

And if anyone has any suggestions, my parish is looking for a way to dispose of many, many surplus copies of the Canadian Book of Common Prayer (1962).

Posted by Martin L (# 11804) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Strangely Warmed:
And if anyone has any suggestions, my parish is looking for a way to dispose of many, many surplus copies of the Canadian Book of Common Prayer (1962).

I don't know if they would be able to help, but perhaps the Prayer Book Society of Canada could help to find a good home for those Prayer Books.

Posted by Panda (# 2951) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Adrian1:
Here's the radical suggestion. Why not hang on to them for possible future use? A lot of churches use more than one hymnbook and it's wise to not be tied down to just one. NEH contains some good hymns but a great deal of rubbish too - in fact too much in my opinion. I liked - and still do like - the old standard edition Hymns A & M. One of the offputting things about NEH is that hymns which should be there aren't such as

The Easter hymn "O voice of the beloved"

"Put thou thy trust in God" (a good Wesley hymn)

"Pleasant are thy courts above"

And, of course, "Jersulam on High" - although the tune to that has survived in NEH to "Now is eternal life."

Ah, but we've only switched to Common Praise (the blue one) so we still have lots of the trad ones. And left in our usual storage spots, they will take up a lot of space, and would possibly get damp.

Alogon - I'll be in touch, but these are all words-only editions. Would that actually be any good for your choir?

Posted by Morlader (# 16040) on :

I did have a suggestion: keep, say, 25 copies of each at both churches. There are good hymns with good but unknown tunes in each, usable as simple choir anthems.

But words only? Good job you're changing. You wouldn't, of course, be buying words only in this day age, would you?

Sorry, I haven't helped with the disposal question, I realise now. [Hot and Hormonal]

Posted by ExclamationMark (# 14715) on :

Use them
a. to prop up displays
b. to fill the darkest cupboards

Posted by Angloid (# 159) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Strangely Warmed:

I once had a conversation with a priest who suggested that there should be some way, for example, for us to dispose reverently of all the old Bibles, prayer books and devotional manuals which inevitably end up in our libraries. A holy bonfire, conducted perhaps on consecrated ground, might not be a bad idea.

Bearing in mind that many congregations have difficulty keeping warm in the winter, surely someone could design an efficient furnace for recycling all this devotional fervour into degrees Celsius (or Fahrenheit, if you prefer, but it would cost more).

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

Maybe the church could start some craft projects ?

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :

There's still the issue of how to advertise their availability, but I know of a diocese of Europe congregation which was severely stretched (not enough copies of two different books) until a church in a similar position to you donated their old books.

Posted by Alogon (# 5513) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Panda:
Alogon - I'll be in touch, but these are all words-only editions. Would that actually be any good for your choir?

Thank you, but in that case, I don't think I could use them. [Waterworks]

Sorry to disappoint...

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