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Voice 3: Blessed are those who trust.Voice 4: I do not think Mennonites are seen as beingradical. There is no need to be radical. You can be apeace witness by being low key and of good character,by being a witness for Christ, by helping involuntary service, by showing our concern for ourbrothers and sisters, such as in the times of floods,hurricanes, and earthquakes.Voice 3: Blessed are those who trust in the Lord.Voice 1: And this is another link to the past.Mennonites refused to fight because they chose tolive a life of service and peace rather than one of violence.The war strengthened this belief. After thewar, many COs continued in a life of service, and soit is because of that CO experience that we nowhave things like Mennonite Voluntary Service.Voice 2: So maybe it’s a matter of trusting that wewill find the everyday ways of being witnesses forpeace. But is that too easy? Sure, we believe in peace,but do we really have the guts to make sacrifices forpeace?Voice 3: Blessed are those whose trust IS the Lord.Voice 1: And this is the story. The story of peoplethroughout history who walk by faith, who trust inthe Lord, and who continue to put their lives on theline because of their peacemaking convictions.Voice 3: They shall be like a tree planted by thewater, sending out its roots by the stream. It shallnot fear when heat comes and its leaves shall staygreen. In the year of drought it is not anxious and itdoes not cease to bear fruit.(Short pause)Voice 1: Dateline, (current date). Location: (currentlocation)Voice 2: So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. As achurch, we’ve got this new vision statement that saysthat we’re rooted, growing, and branching. We saythat we are a welcoming community of diverse personsfollowing Jesus Christ. So we’re linked togetherwith this common purpose. Where do we go fromhere?Voice 4: Being a pacifist is something I feel verystrongly about. Standing up for justice where injusticespresent themselves—this is something thatMennonites have often become known for. There aremany places where Mennonites can be peace witnesses:working for social justice, writing a letter to agovernment leader, or stepping outside of societalnorms to befriend those who are neglected by oursociety. What is most important is that we asChristians are living as we are called to.Voice 2: What will we at (church name) do as witnessesfor peace?Voice 3: You shall be like a tree planted by the water,sending out its roots by the stream.Voice 2: What stories will be told about the courageouspeople in 2006 who stood up for peace? Howwill these stories be linked to the stories of COs inprevious wars? How will God work among us?Voice 4: We need to demonstrate that we are theeyes, arms, and legs of God. We need to speak outagainst the wrongs of society and not stand idly by.And we need to know that we are not alone.Voice 3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by sogreat a cloud of witnesses...Voice 1: Where saints and angels dwell above, allhearts are joined in holy love. God binds us in thatheavenly chain. God gives peace. God gives peaceagain and again.Voice 3: Blessed are those who trust in God.Voice 1: God binds us into a heavenly chain ofpeacemakers. God gives peace again and again.Voice 3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by sogreat a cloud of witnesses...Voice 2: Therefore, we give thanks to God for thestories of these peace witnesses. We pray that Godwill guide us in the way of peace. And we pray thatthe Holy Spirit will inspire us to keep the chainunbroken....Pause...then the songleader leads “O God of love,O Power of peace” (HWB #368) with the followingwords:O God of love, O Pow’r of peace, make warsthroughout the world to cease. The wrath of humansin restrain—give peace, O God, give peace again!Whom shall we trust but you, O Lord, where restbut on your faithful word? None ever called on youin vain—give peace, O God, give peace again!Here saints and angels dwell above, all hearts arejoined in holy love. O bind us in that heavenlychain—give peace, O God, give peace again!40
Finding storiesSome people in our churcheshave firsthand experiences relatingto World War II, orresistance to Vietnam, war taxresistance, or other forms ofconscientious objection. Othersmay know of stories passed on in their families. APeace Sunday theme of conscientious objection towar can provide the opportunity to find and recordthese CO experiences.Sample interview with Vietnam draftresister Monte CorwinAs a Christian, why is it important for to rememberthe stories of those who were conscientiousobjectors in the past?Remembering conscientious objectors in the pastprovides a legacy of religious objection to warfarethat present and future COs can draw on for support,instruction, and advisement when faced withsimilar decisions of conscience. This Christian heritageof objection to war in all forms thus becomesthe foundation, the common bond of reference forone and all. It provides today’s COs with an historicalprecedent for discernment and decision-makingif faced with imminent induction into the “involuntaryservitude” of military service.Throughout history, our forbearers were seen asradical, in part, because of their faith convictionsabout pacifism. Do you think Mennonites are seenas radical today?Within the broad Christian community, I believethat most would see Mennonites as sturdy godlyfolk, radical in their sense of reaching out andbeing ever ready to help those in need. Today, theirtraditional peace witness would be generallyknown but not seen so much as radical, as perhapsduring the past World Wars. Today, there are anumber of peace groups, both religious and secularand (especially in Canada) “untested” by anational conscription, as in these two previouswars.How does our Christian faith require us to be radicalpeace witnesses?For me, to assume a peace witness seems necessary,fitting, and proper, based upon my understandingof Scripture—as gleaned from the “good news” ofthe New Testament. My conviction of the Lord’sintention for worldwide peace, brotherhood, andjustice is so central and elemental in my soul, mycore of being, as to be ineffable to written expression.Suffice it to say that a peace witness “should”be essential to a proper faith perspective within anyChristian faith-based organization. Hopefully, mylife will be lived out as a personal reflection of thatconviction, that core belief.Historical Mennonite faith imperatives should berevisited and re-evaluated as the challenges oftoday are measured against those of the past. Thatis why it is so important to remember the stories ofthose who were contentious objectors in the past.May their experiences help to guide those who“contentiously object” to participation in any currentor future state-organized act of warfare, ornational aggression.Interview a WWII COsThe voices of the WWII COs are quieting as timemoves along. We do not have too many years leftin which we can hear their stories firsthand, so it isimportant to record their wisdom now.Prepare for the interview:Have good recording equipment and extra tapesand batteries. It is best to use clip-on microphonesand to sit close together. Test your equipment andknow its capabilities.Know your topic. It would be helpful to do a bit ofbackground research (e.g. That There Be Peace byLawrence Klippenstein, or Chapter 2 inMennonites in Canada, Volume 3, by Ted Regehr).Not all COs worked in the forestry camps. Someworked on farms, some in industry, some in hospitals,some in northern native communities.Ask open-ended questions and try to draw out theunique aspects of the story.Sample questions:1. Personal backgroundName, parents, where lived, church affiliation.2. War is declaredHow did it impact you?When you found out you might be called up forservice, what went through your mind?How did you decide not to join the military andopt for Alternative Service?Were there people you looked to for advice?Was there tension between you (or other COs) andpeople who were joining the military or had friendsor family in active service?41
Page 1 and 2: Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscien
Page 5 and 6: Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscien
Page 8 and 9: FridayA different way of lifePut yo
Page 10 and 11: On becoming a COHow does one learn
Page 12 and 13: swords into ploughshares. Is.2:4Str
Page 14 and 15: Committed even unto death:the story
Page 16 and 17: Public witness for peaceToday there
Page 18 and 19: Objecting to paying for warCanadian
Page 20 and 21: Our task is not only to keep our so
Page 22 and 23: Litany of ResistanceJim Loney, who
Page 24 and 25: Mennonite Church ManitobaTo listen
Page 26 and 27: Love your enemies. Mt 5:44More Old
Page 28 and 29: Digging deeperThese reflections on
Page 30 and 31: inevitable, the last and often firs
Page 32 and 33: Learning in ActionCO RegistryA numb
Page 34 and 35: Peacemakerswho sow inpeace raise ah
Page 36 and 37: The Powers That Be: Theology for a
Page 38 and 39: AppendixSample sermonBlessed Are th
Page 40 and 41: Readers’ theatreO Bind Us in That
Page 44 and 45: How did the church/family react to
Page 46 and 47: pious answers, and sitting back to
Page 48 and 49: “Our beards,” Joseph interjects
Page 50: Peacemakerswho sow inpeace raise ah

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