The Worshipbook of 1970 was a radical departure from previous liturgical books of the Presbyterian Church, ((USA). This book was composed in the shadow of a great ecumenical movement that included the Consultation on Church Union, Vatican II, the Jesus Movement, and many other attempts toward liturgical reform and ecumenical unions.
The most significant feature is its brevity. The Worshipbook of 1970 is visibly thinner than the previous editions of the Book of Common of Worship. The language is very contemporary, taking what was then a bold step away from Elizabethan language in a liturgical book. There was less dependancy on liturgical traditions, such as the Book of Common Prayer.
Since the book was so thin, it was published as both a singular volume and also bound with a new hymnal for the church.