This whole discussion is strange to me.

Rename table while are pending inserts to it?

How. If statment like rename table exsist then after name has changed all applications must be recompiled to take this new name into account. This looks to me that discussion is not about real problem. Only academic discusion that will be good to have this possibility in engine. 

If change is realy needed then i suppose simplest solusion is

Create table with same structure and run simple command

Insert into new_table

Select * from old_table

Commit and use it.

Regards,

Karol Bieniaszewsli