Pastor David Hess, of the Lutheran congregation, welcomed those who traveled to Heidelberg Union Church to celebrate love, regardless of the weather.

The Feb. 22 service was a continuation of the yearlong 275th anniversary of the church.

In prayer, the pastor thanked God for those who lived before, by saying "Thank you for the faith of the founders of this congregation."

The anthem, "Thank You God for My Christian Home," was sung by Jack Snyder.

"I will leave this world as I found it taking no silver or gold," Snyder sang. "All I need for courage is to whisper 'Thank you God for my Christian home.'"

During the offering, Snyder sang "Soul Mate."

"Until the end of time, you are my soul mate," he sang. "If I go first, I'll wait for your love. There is no telling where I'd be without your love.

"I thank the Lord above for your love. We have a special bond that will never break because we're soul mates."

The children's message began with Hess asking, "What's love?"

Pastor Karen Yonney, of the United Church of Crist congregation, said it is hard to define love, so she told the children to look at it another way.

"Who shows love to you?" Yonney asked. "Your family? How do they show love?"

"Did they comfort you?" Hess asked.

Yonney suggested providing food is a measure of love.

"If you don't have food would you feel unloved?" Yonney asked.

"How do you show love to mom, dad and family?" the two pastors asked. "Food comes directly from the parents but actually from God."

Yonney then asked if the children knew the song, "Jesus Loves Me."

The entire congregation sang it a cappella with Yonney leading.

A number of people read scripture, with passages speaking of love.

These included Ecclesiastes 4:9: "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil."

From Mark 12:30, a member read, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength."

Another reading was from John 15:9 "I love you just as my Father loves me. … My commandment is this - love one another just as I love you. "

From I Corinthians was read 13:4, "Love is patient and kind. It is not jealous or conceited or proud. Love does not keep a record of wrongs."

In addition, from 1 Corinthians 13:13 the verse "Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love," was recited.

And, from 1 John 4:7 a parishioner read "Let us love one another because love comes from God."

Romans 13:8, "The only obligation you have is to love one another," was also recited.

"Lavish Love, Abundant Beauty," was sung with the words including "Gracious gifts for heart and hand."

Sonia Fink offered a "Marriage Prayer" in song. "Here in these sacred vows we pledge our lives together, to love and serve in Jesus' name."

Pastor Yonney handed out chocolate hearts to the music "All You Need Is Love." She wore a peace necklace and earrings and a headband.

Yonney tossed a heart to Pastor Hess as she crossed to the other side of the church.

"[Maybe] All you need is love," Yonney said.

But Hess said some of us like to have fun.

Yonney said there were many love songs written during the '50s and '60s, such as "When I Fall in Love," There's a Moon Out Tonight."

"This is a trip down memory lane but there are other types of love," Yonney said.

Hess said young people love their first car or truck. He told the congregation his father gave him a truck that served to get him to school.

Yonney said her first love was in sixth grade when she and a boy wrote notes back and forth.

"Now we tweet and seldom talk face to face," said Hess. "But love is so much more. To love is to honor as long as we both shall live. We find the one person we will live with all our lives."

"Today, we believe we can find love on the Internet," said Hess.

Yonney said people have high expectations and believe no one is good enough.

"Turn to God. Pure, unconditional, indestructible - God's love is his whole being," said Hess. "Love must be complete. Love our Lord, our spouses and fellow Christians." The service closed with the covenants:

"Do you promise anew to love and sustain each other in the covenant of marriage, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow as long as you both shall live?

If so, answer "I do with the help of God."

May God grant you grace to fulfill in your life together the solemn covenant you made in the springtime of your love and renewed today in the presence of God and members of the church.

There was also a renewal of the Union Church covenant.