The Literature Work and the Spreading of the Ministry

Sister Tao Chen Peijun: In recent years, although Brother Wu was tormented by many kinds of illnesses, everyone knew how he strove to have a part in the church service and in the meetings; yet even more, he disciplined himself to maintain the regularity of coming into the office, keeping pace with us, often holding out until the end of the workday, never making excuses to slack off. Each time he came, he would survey everyone's seat once over; without anyone needing to say anything, all his judgment was already within him.

He had a clear and accurate knowledge of each colleague, caring for people thoughtfully, covering and protecting them, even caring for the family members of his colleagues. As we assisted him from the side in his service, we gradually came to understand that within his heart there was a clear standard, a just distribution, and clear rewarding and disciplining.

The statements and reports of the book room's operation passed through his hands; in the big direction he grasped the key points and was clear in concept, and in the details his mental calculations were accurate, without needing to rely on a computer. On the surface, the operation of the book room seemed to be us coordinating to provide him the basis for his decisions; in fact, it was he who coordinated with us, and who knit us together in coordination.

He urged the book room to promote the word of the ministry without ever relaxing, attaching great importance to its spreading. In recent years he promoted breakthroughs in the printing and distribution of the Recovery Version of the Bible, and the promotion and distribution of the Collected Works of Witness Lee. The Lord no longer used those hands of his that had once been able to fling out whole boxes of books, yet this very person became the most powerful and most effective promoter of all this operation.

In his wisdom he set the regulation that the colleagues, before each day's work, were to pray and pursue in groups; in the meetings he also again and again reminded and urged us to function in the church, encouraging us that we must not merely touch the cover of the book, but must be constituted by the word and truly be one with the ministry.

In recent years he was rather more limited, having relatively more time than before, sitting in the accounting room and recounting to us the ins and outs of finances and matters involving personnel—as though reiterating history, as though giving an account, and as though filing, ordering, and examining himself within his own mind. At year's end and year's beginning he said several times: "I have lived another year." Yet within his eyes there was a deeper meaning. Once I took up his thought and said, "Brother Wu, what the Lord has entrusted to you, He will give you the grace for it." He nodded after hearing it but gave no reply. Before leaving, as always, he slowly used a few seconds to strive to push himself up from the chair, then dragged himself out slowly. Gazing at that figure, I understood: grace had been activated. The wearing away of sickness, the burden of the churches, all the intricate complications, the good name and the evil name—none of these hindered him from continuing to press on toward that unique and certain goal.

Thank the Lord! He has given to us the very pattern of this grace that He Himself has produced!