Lipscomb community gathers to mourn the passing of Isaac Phillips

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...