We recently bought some new furniture and decided that rather than just putting everything back, we would sort out.

In doing this, we have added a significant amount to recycling as we have disposed of old birthday cards, and old documents no longer relevant.

We also came across things we had forgotten about but which were personally significant - old photos, wedding programmes, letters and a large collection of paintings by our two children when at playgroup - no great works of art. We also found some things we did not even know we had.

I remember when my mother died and my brother and I had to sort out her flat. We found photos of our dad when he had hair - he went bald aged 25 and so we had never seen him with hair. And photos of mum when younger.

Recalling the past is strange; as I get older, I know that my past is longer than my future. Sometimes the past can be painful. Many people’s earliest memory is often of something painful - mine was aged three and getting chicken pox when I was sent to stay with my aunt as my mum gave birth to my brother.

Sometimes that painful memory is of things we now regret. But at the heart of the Christian message is forgiveness and release from the pains of the past.

I was thinking recently of Jesus’ appearance in the upper room on the first Easter day. There, gathered behind locked doors, were Jesus’ disciples - the men who had let him down so much at his arrest, trial and execution.

If I’d been Jesus then, I would have given them a piece of my mind - “where were you when I needed you; call yourselves my friends!” But no, Jesus’ words were just “Peace be with you.” The past is forgiven.

And we can move on. It has been my privilege to be invited back to every church I have previously served. And it has been wonderful. I was greeted warmly, and even those who I had not got on with quite so well were nothing but gracious and welcoming. There comes a time to let the past go and live now. We can’t change the past but we can the future.