The most recent of the Joint Liturgical Studies this essay presents extracts from a Sermon series given by Charles Simeon with some introductory remains and contextualisation.
In this 350th anniversary year of the Book of Common Prayer it is highly appropriate to hear Simeon wax lyrical about the perfections of the Prayer Book, I think at times he would make even the most loyal member of the Prayer Book Society blush.
While it might be hard to support his claims for the Prayer Book being the single most prefect work of human hands (only exceeded by the Divine work of the Bible itself) I found that many of his reasons rang true with me.
Key to his praise is the virtue of ordered Liturgy, of the space that is created by familiar words for deep and wide reflections and encounters with God. He is critical of 'freer' styles of worship worrying that they are too hit and miss and feels that often it is only the best of such service that are compared to, and used to critise, the Prayer Book - while the Prayer Book, in his view, would stand out above much of the rest.
He sees that most Churches of this type end up repeating the same structure and words to almost the same degree as the Prayer Book. Even to day within 'chiasmatic' worship you find from week to week there will be set patterns, how many places have I been where we had 6 songs, the last of which will be a slower one before which the worship leader will entreat the people to sing it as 'a prayer' then followed by a sermon and rounds off with 2 more songs and an altar call - all believed to be spontaneous...
I think given the choice I would be with Simeon - I'd rather the Prayer Book than the muddle the Church now endures under Common Worship.
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