by Cory Woodroof | Oct 3, 2013 | News Slider
The Lipscomb community gathered once more on Tuesday afternoon to mourn the death of freshman Isaac Phillips. Phillips passed away early Saturday morning on campus, and a special, standing-room-only service was held in Collins Alumni Auditorium to honor his memory. Phillips had spent a large portion of his academic career at Lipscomb, having played football and baseball during his time as a Lipscomb Academy student. “It was this place where he was a student for many years,” Lipscomb President Dr. Randy Lowry said. “It was this place where he excelled academically. It was this place where he excelled athletically. It was this place where he made friends – those of you that will remember him for the rest of your lives. And it is this place that his faith grew. “And so it’s fitting that it’s at this place that we gather this afternoon – a place that we gather, in part, to ask questions that really have no answers. It’s a place that we gather to support each other. It’s a place that we gather to affirm our hope that goes beyond the events of the last 72 hours – to affirm that we are apart of God’s story, a larger story, a story that has a very, very different ending.” Lowry spoke directly to the family in attendance, promising support from the Lipscomb family as they journey through the circumstances. He also thanked the students for their handling of the situation. “The reality is, in moments like this, a community reflects what it really is, and I couldn’t be more proud of our students and our faculty...
by Cory Woodroof | Sep 28, 2013 | News Slider
Swang Chapel offered a quiet place of mourning and remembrance Saturday night as the Lipscomb community gathered to comfort each other and pray after the sudden passing of freshman Isaac Phillips. Phillips, a pre-nursing major from Nashville, died late Friday night. During the gathering, university President Dr. Randy Lowry expressed his sorrow over the loss, saying this is a trying time for the community. He referred to the common belief that college is supposed to be the best four years of your life – a belief emphasized to students during the start of their college experiences. “And then, all of a sudden, we’re reminded that even in the best four years of your life, sometimes life intervenes; and, together, we walk a somewhat different path,” Lowry said. He encouraged those in attendance to be a community for the Phillips family during the days ahead. Lipscomb Academy teacher and head football coach Scott Tillman read a scripture from II Corinthians 1:3-4, which talks about comforting each other in tragic times as we receive comfort from God. Tillman was a coach on the teams that Phillips was a part of during his time at the Academy. “God is faithful,” Tillman said after the reading. Senior campus minister Steve Davidson recounted a recent trip to Florida with his family. His young grandson tripped on the sidewalk and received a bump on his forehead. He and his wife hurt for their injured grandson, wanting to be there for him during the pain. Davidson related that experience to what many were feeling in the chapel. “Scott [Tillman] read a script about the God of all comfort, and that’s why we...
