The apostle Paul writes to a church where he was the founding pastor. He speaks to a jumble of their moral and spiritual problems. To this diverse group of Christians in this cosmopolitan city, he first reminds them of the state in which Christ's good news came to them: "Consider your own call, brothers and sisters, not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world...." Paul goes on, but you get the sense.

Paul isn't depressed that the congregation is a bag stuffed with such worldly losers. He's excited. He's celebrating. He knows what God can do in the ordinary. These Christians…