consumed vs. enveloped

i know i still haven't written many details about camp - but the theme of camp is "totally consumed."  i was challenged by the director to look at hebrews 12:2-29, as the passage talks about God being a consuming fire...
 
well, to me, i've always found comfort in God being a consuming fire.  i've probably never thought about it completely.  i figured it's good to be totally consumed in God and that's the way i thought about it.  so, today, i thought i should probably start looking up stuff on it.  i know this sounds a little elementary, (big surprise, huh?) but i looked it up in the dictionary... actually dictionary.com - (technology)
 
consuming v.
1. to take in as food; eat or drink up.
2.  a.  To expend; use up  b.  To purchase for direct use or ownership
3.  To waste; squander.
4.  To destroy totally; ravage
5.  To absorb; engross
 
so i guess i've always thought about it from #5's perspective... but i don't think that is absolutely right... in fact, i think it's more of #4... which disturbs me a little... i'll get to it in a second... first, i guess when i've thought about God as a consuming fire, i've thought of it more in the sense of enveloping... according to dictionary.com (again),
 
enveloping v.
1. To enclose or encase completely with or as if with a covering
 
i've always thought about consuming this way - more like a big hug that envelops... i think this is wrong...  i think it's more like God destroying and killing my sin nature and possessing all of me...  i guess this sounds a little "out there," but lately (yesterday at church, especially), i've been faced with the reality of sin... during the passover meal, the participants of the meal eat bitter herbs and dip certain elements in salt water to demonstrate sin - and the remorse (salt water = tears) that we should feel... how many times have i wept over sin in my life recently?  not enough, i assure you...  so i guess i am seeing how God as a consuming fire should be approached and seen as more out of reverence and fear. 
 
these are really preliminary thoughts, but i thought i'd put them out there for feedback and for future reference... what does it mean to be totally consumed??