The vibrate function on my phone does not apply to my phone’s alarm.
Usually, on Sundays, I stop by the office and leave my phone in my office before heading off to the sanctuary. Today, I forgot.
As worship is about to start, I realize my phone is in my pocket. I did what anyone would do, put it on vibrate.
So there I am. In the pulpit, reading today’s Hebrew Bible lesson from Numbers 21:4-9. And I couldn’t have timed this better if I tried, but as I got to verse 8 and read “and the Lord said” my alarm goes off “No I can’t do this all on my own, no I’m no, I’m no Superman.”
I was so caught off guard, that I don’t even remember how I finished reading the last verse. And on top of that, the alarm is set at 840a. I didn’t have a chance to explain that my phone’s alarm is the last, last resort. If I’m woken up on a weekday by my phone alarm, then I know that I’m real late.
Everyone had a good laugh about it. I got razzed by some of the parishioners, and of course mostly by my pastor.
Figures though. If the phone alarm can turn on the phone, no vibrate function is gonna stop that thing from doing its job.
You live and you learn, right?
Joseph Yoo 
that’s funny. i generally keep my iphone on silent which is a vibrate essentially. but every now and then (the alarm being one of them, and some game start ups) i get caught with a blaring sound. tho, not yet from the pulpit.
My problem is the stupid feedback/buzz sound you get with the cell phone around speakers/mics….
Oops.
Live and learn! As a result of not always humorous personal experience I’ve stopped carrying my cell phone when making visits in the hospital, the homes of members and prospects or of course during times of worship and Bible study. A routine of checking for missed messages allows timely response to issues of need/emergency.