Yes, George Lucas did give up executive status when he handed over the keys to the Star Wars universe to the Magic Kingdom, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still have a finger in the pie. Acting as creative consultant, he essentially gets to tell Abrams and those working on the new trilogy what they can and can't do, which sounds an awful lot like he's still calling the shots. Having Lucas work on the film certainly isn't unexpected or even the worst thing that could happen to the films - he did create a series of films that are beloved and still have a gigantic impact on modern pop culture - but he kind of outlived his creative usefulness around the time of the prequel trilogy and Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull, so letting him have any semblance of control in a new series might well set Abrams and co. off on the wrong foot. Besides, do you really want to be taking advice from the guy who invented Midichlorians?
