Hymn as a present

I have received a prizeless gift. A small, old, Finnish hymn book.
In this Nordic region, there has been and still is a strong, religious movement, called "lestadianism", named by a famous preacher, Lars Levi Læstadius.
This movement is known to be very strict and ascetic. Having many rules about forbidden things.

Nevertheless I paid a visit to a very lovely, old woman in this town.
I must by the way emphasise that I`m not very religious myself. I`m more in it because of the music. Because these people has created some of the most beatiful hymns I know.

Meeting this old woman was like when The Rolling Stones first met Muddy Waters.
We were sitting there, the woman and I in her living room, drinking coffe and singing old, Finnish hymns, when suddenly she disappeared out, and came back with this small hymn book and gave it to me as a present.

I had to be honest with her, telling her that I make something new out of these hymns, when I`m singing in a band. And she didn`t quite like the "jazzhymns", as she expressed it. But she accepted it. And the book remained as a present.
(If you want to hear some examples of my "jazzhymns", you can find them on this webpage; http://www.home.no/daap.)