I'm not sure what you mean by your first two questions. Are you speaking about caring for the dying and dead in a physical or spiritual sense? As Lutheran Christians we encourage members to seek appropriate medical care for their physical ailments. But we do see the pastor as a type of spiritual physician who serves the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. The pastor will visit the sick or hurting member at home or in the hospital. There he will bring them the comfort of God's Word through a Bible devotion as well as pray with and for the person. He will also instruct his members to visit the sick and support the hurting. While the pastor will take the lead in caring for the sick, he will encourage the broader community to believers to do the same. After all, when Jesus said, "I was sick and you visited me" he was speaking to Christians and not just pastors.

This support will also include the family, friends, and relatives of the dying person, before and after death. When a pastor visits a sick person in the hospital, he will realize that family members will also be in need of spiritual care. While the dying person may be ready for death, the family members may not want to accept the fact that their loved one is going to die. After the person has died, the pastor will support the family during the funeral and in the days, months, and years that follow the funeral. They are dealing with a loss and while the wound will heal, a scar will remain. Their lives will not be the same without their loved one and the pastor and body of believers is there to support and encourage them in their grieving.

You also ask, "Where do believers go when they die?" Scripture teaches that physical death is the separation of soul and body (Ecclesiastes 12:7). At death the soul of a believer goes to heaven and experiences the joys of eternal life. The body remains on their earth and decays, awaiting the final judgment when the body will rise from the dead and be reunited with the soul. This is the hope of the gospel that Lutheran Christians have because of the work of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

As far as remarriage after death is concerned, it is always possible. Marriage is for life, but only for this life. As 1 Corinthians 7:39 indicates, "A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes."

Even though a person is free to marry following the death of a spouse, it would be wise for that person to go through the grieving process first. With a prolonged illness, much of the grieving may take place before the death. However, in the case of a sudden or unexpected death, the person will need to take some time to mourn the loss. Therefore when they do choose to remarry, they will do so because they realize that they can give love to someone else, not just take love from someone whom they hope will fill a void in their life created by the death.