Lay aside your hammer—
Lord, set down the lathe.
Hang your square on the rafter;
still the rasping plane.
Loose the snares of the wicked.
Untie the tempter’s nets.
Cut through the tangled, twisted
Gordian knot of death.
Gather the threads and fragments,
saving our smallest scraps.
Weave from our fig-leaves’ tatters
glory’s robes at last.
Carpenter, turn tailor—
Pierce the needle’s eye.
Clothe in life, O Savior,
all those doomed to die.
Make us wedding garments—
Oh, let us enter in!
Dress us for the harvest
and let the feast begin!
Painting by Rubens of St James the Less clutching a try square, a symbol associated with several Christian saints. By Peter Paul Rubens – http://www.artbible.info/art/topics/rubens-apostles-series, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32560020
Kate Bluett 