God and country are spoken together at North Huron Christian Center in Thornton.
Each week, the 100-member congregation prays for political leaders from the president of the United States to the mayor of Northglenn.
The American flag stands on the pulpit alongside a Christian flag.
That convergence of flag and faith will be on display today when the National Day of Prayer is observed outside the state Capitol in downtown Denver.
The evangelical Christian-sponsored event, which organizers stress does not endorse any political party or view, is billed as "returning God to the public square."
"Particularly this year and since 9/11, there seems to be a heightened hunger, desire and interest in prayer for protection and prayer for revival for our nation - and for the world," said the Rev. Gary Hines, pastor at North Huron Christian Center and coordinator of the Denver National Day of Prayer event.
The long-running debate over blending patriotism and religion has been renewed in recent weeks during the war with Iraq.
Some churches, particularly evangelical and Baptist churches, sing patriotic hymns such as "God Bless America" and speak of America's Christian heritage.
Other places of worship, including those that have opposed the war, say the altar isn't the place for patriotism and stress that God doesn't take sides.
The National Day of Prayer embodies the split. Founded by Congress in 1952 to cover all faiths, the event has been embraced by evangelical Christians and largely ignored by the rest of the faith community, at least in Denver.
That's in part because evangelicals, finding their voice in the Cold War fight against "godless communists," were the driving force behind the day's founding, said Philip Goff, director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
Some faiths reluctant to take part believe the day amounts to government endorsement of religion, Goff said.
In recent years, the Colorado Springs-based National Day of Prayer Task Force has been effective in starting a network of state and local coordinators to realize its vision of observing the event through a Christian lens. The task force is led by Shirley Dobson, wife of James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family.
Hines said people of all faiths are invited to attend the Denver event, which is returning after a two-year absence. But Muslims, pagans, Wiccans and others outside the Judeo-Christian tradition would not be welcome to speak, according to task force policies.
That philosophy has been criticized by some interfaith leaders, but Hines said he believes it is one reason the evangelical community has rallied behind the event.
To Christians, prayer for the nation's leaders is rooted in a verse in 1 Timothy Chapter 2 that urges prayer "for kings and all those in authority." The point is not to pray for the success of one politician or another, but for whoever is in charge, Hines said.
Few people of faith would object to that, said the Rev. Jim Ryan of the Colorado Council of Churches, a mainline Protestant body. But some might avoid the National Day of Prayer because they believe one must support U.S. policies to be considered patriotic, he said.
Christian-led observances such as Denver's appeal to those uncomfortable in the varied U.S. religious landscape that has emerged in recent years, said Vincent Harding, a professor of religion and social transformation at Iliff Theological Seminary in Denver.
"There are a lot of people who feel comfortable in the older, simpler, less diverse American society, where when you said a prayer, you knew you were talking about a Judeo- Christian prayer," Harding said. "Some people would like to hold on to that."
State Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, an ordained nondenominational minister who sponsored a joint resolution proclaiming today National Day of Prayer in Colorado, said prayer for the country crosses religious boundaries, and that patriotism and faith mesh well.
"If we look at the history of the national anthem, or the national motto or other national symbols, you'll see a strong foundation for a belief in God," she said.